The Secrets We Hold
by NinjaTomatoFairyKing
Summary: Annie Coulson has been asked by Fury to join Captain America in the new group of Avengers. However, she also is the secret Deputy Director of SHIELD... Oh, and she has a bit of a history with the good old Captain. The secrets don't end there though as Annie and Rogers jump in to find Bucky. No, the game of secrets has only just begun.
1. Chapter 1

They call me the Dark Veil. My actual name is Agent Anneliese Coulson , age 26. I've been in SHIELD since I was 16, though I was really born into it. My mother was an Enhanced, the result of genetic testing that ended in a mutation allowing her to access more than 10% of her mind at any given point in time. My father, as my last name suggest, is Phil Coulson. Due to their high standing in SHIELD, I quickly became the youngest SHIELD agent. Technically I'm not anymore. Well, at least that was the case until Fury came to me one day after SHIELD fell. He gave me two huge bits of news that day, and by the end of the conversation I was offered the position of Deputy Director.

That was about a year ago. Now I'm taking another huge leap in my career. Fury came to me about a week ago. He wants me to join the new Avengers team Steve Rogers is making. I have to smile at that. I suppose my gifts, inherited from my mother, will actually come to use. I haven't really been in the field for a while now, not since the Fall. Sighing, I step into the new facility that will become my home. Two people stand to greet me, both of whom I actually know. "Annie, it has been too long," Steve sighs. We both laugh.

"So you two know each other?" Natasha asks. I nod my head.

"Someone had to do a basic catch up for the man," I point out, walking forward to hug them both. Steve studies me as I pull back.

"You cut your hair," Steve remarks. I pick up a lock of my light brown curly hair.

"Hm? Yeah, I did shortly after you went off to save the universe," I sigh, turning to Natasha. "Yours looks nice as well." Nat smiles.

"It'll be good to have you around," she winks.

"I'll show you to your room in a moment. Wanda will be returning in a few days. Fury suggested that we send her off to get some grief counseling," Steve explains. I raise an eyebrow.

"Helmsworth Operations," I tell him.

"What's that?" he asks. I sigh.

"It was a partner organization to SHIELD specializing in psychology. They give counseling to people like us, SHIELD and Avengers alike, as well as Enhanced and other people like that," I explain.

"Weren't you there before?" Nat asks. I nod hesitantly.

"Twice," I mutter, looking over at Steve. "So, where's my room?" Steve rests a hand on my back and leads me down a hall. Suddenly he pauses.

"How are you?" he asks quietly. I tense.

"It's been a while, Rogers. I'm holding up," I tell him.

"I'm sorry about your father," he sighs. I battle my urge to tell him the truth, but Fury would have my head. So I just smile and squeeze his arm.

"I said I'm holding up. You know I mean it," I remind him. He smiles and starts walking again.

"I've missed you. It was hard at first without much of a friend," Steve muses. I look down at the ground. "Being with the Avengers has helped, but I feel like you and I just have a different dynamic."

"I don't think either of us are the same person we were when you came out of the ice," I remind him. He stops at my room, turning to look at me.

"Annie, we'd be quite lost if we were," he tells me. Hesitating, he leans forward and kisses my brow. He lingers near my ear. "Maybe we can still get back who we were to each other, or almost were anyways," he whispers in my ear. I enter my room, pressing my back against the door once I close it. I'm now wondering if this was the best choice. My phone rings in my pocket. I answer.

"How are you doing, kid?" Dad asks. I bite my lip. Of course he would call now.

"I just got in," I sigh. There's a minute of silence.

"How has he settled?" Dad finally manages to inquire. I smirk.

"He seems okay. How are you?" I reply.

"We're holding up, I guess. Nothing is ever easy. Keep in touch," he sighs. The call is short, but it calms me a bit. I toss my bag on the bed, staring up in the mirror. Sometimes I can't even look at myself, and others I can manage it. Thankfully today is of the latter. I need my confidence.

I relax a while before Nat comes knocking on the door. "Are you going to tell him?" Nat asks, speaking in general. I shake my head.

"Like I'd screw that up," I chuckle. "Some things he doesn't need to know, and others he's not allowed to know. It's for the better." Nat sits on the bed beside me.

"You went through a lot," she remarks.

"I signed up for that when I took the job. I knew what I was getting into," I remind her.

"There was one thing you couldn't have anticipated," she points out coldly. I cross my arms.

"Nat, I'm fine. Stop trying to act like I'm not. I got help and I'm better," I warn her. She sighs.

"Alright, I believe you. Come on, Rogers wants us all in the conference room," Nat caves. We get up and walk up a floor to a room full of windows. Steve and another man who I assume is Sam sit at the table in the center of the room.

"Ah, good you made it. Sam, this is Agent Annie Coulson," Steve greets. I wave at Sam, taking a seat at the table.

"What are we here to discuss?" I ask. Steve pushes a file across the table to me. I flip through it.

"The Winter Soldier," he replies. "We're looking for him. I'm hoping you might have some idea of where to look." I breeze through reading the file, my lips parted as I mouth the words on the pages. My brain starts running, sifting through the information within it faster than a normal human.

"Evynne Carper," I mutter.

"Who?" Sam asks. I look up, placing the file down.

"Evynne Carper," I repeat. "She was another Hydra project. A friend of mine who was undercover got put in charge of her case. Lys explained that the idea was to make a sort of companion for the Winter Soldier, changing her genetic code to allow her to locate the Soldier in the field as well as calm him down if needed."

"They took the information from your mother to do that, didn't they?" Steve asks. I nod.

"I'll make a few calls and see if we can locate her. I think that's all we can do right now," I reply.

"Wow, she's here not even five hours and she does a better job than we have in a year," Sam laughs.

"What can I say? She's the best," Steve sighs, leaning back. I blush.

"I'm just weird," I reply. We both laugh, falling into old jokes. We look at each other for a moment before I look away.

The dream comes in bits in pieces. The dead bodies pile all around. The scream of a child far too young to understand the threat hits my ears. I see the empty room, the dark walls. I curl into a ball, but it does nothing to stop it all. They came storming in out of nowhere. I don't even know how they found me. They did though. They did. I watch her fall, her gun dropping to the ground. I wake up screaming and drenched in sweat.

 **A/N: Okay so I was going to wait until December to start posting this... Then I got up to chapter 11 in typing and decided screw it. Welcome to my new fan fiction! I have wanted to do a Marvel based fan fiction for a while now, but no idea I had really stuck. Then I decided to retype one I played with over the summer and ended up with this gem. I have a large chunk of this written, and a lot planned out. However, I'm going to give the big caution. While I do try and stick as much to canon as possible (aka what could possibly happen knowing where we are now and what can happen in the future with some creative liberty. This is how I write any fan fiction), I have not watched Agents of SHIELD season 3... YET. I do I have a friend I am talking to in order to get a feel for what's going on for the purposes of this fan fiction though. Alright, so say hello to Annie. This is a character I've been molding, changing, and refining for a few years now. She is Coulson's daughter (who wouldn't want to be that?) and the daughter of a woman who was subject to genetic mutation. Basically she's a badass mix between May, Coulson, and Wanda. Let's jump into our adventure. It'll be fun, and at times you may need tissue boxes. I will be explaining my characters as we come across them and other things that come from some of my failed fan fiction attempts. With that in mind, I hope you enjoyed this new beginning, and as I will always say, please leave a review!**


	2. Chapter 2

It's after midnight and I'm pounding away at a punching bag. I'm in nothing more than old pair of shorts and a sports bra. I'm so lost in it all that I don't even hear him enter. "What's wrong?" Steve asks, startling me. I turn to him panting, eyes as wide as a doe. He studies me a moment, eyes suddenly falling on my stomach. He steps forward, gingerly touching a nasty scar. I close my eyes. "Where'd you get that?" he breathes.

"I took a bullet protecting someone when SHIELD fell," I pant, grabbing my water bottle.

"Did you save them at least?" Steve inquires. I flinch.

"No, the bullet went through me and hit them," I mutter. Steve steps forward and hugs me.

"I'm sorry to hear. So, what brings you down here all of a sudden?" he whispers in my ear. I rest my head against his chest.

"You're not the only one who gets nightmares," I mutter. He rubs my back.

"I always wondered about you, you know. You left so suddenly, and I never could stop thinking of you," he tells me. I pull back.

"Steve, you're my boss now. What happened is in the past," I remind him. We both just look at each other. "How's Peggy?" His eyes dart away.

"She finally went," he mutters. I rest my hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry. I know how that feels," I sigh. "I'm going to make those calls in the morning. I know how much Bucky means to you."

"He doesn't even remember me," Steve growls, sitting in a nearby chair. I walk over to him.

"I don't know if it will help, but maybe when we do find him we should send him to Helmsworth. I have friends there. They can help him. One of them specializes in memory recollection. If we can get Evynne, then we can also keep him calm," I suggest. He looks up at me.

"That might be our best shot," he muses. "Evynne is the key to finding to him." I nod in agreement. "What are we going to do? We can't forget what all went on between us."

"Steve, I don't know what we should do. I just know that we are working here together. That means that we need to be coworkers," I muse.

"You don't want things to even go near where they were," Steve growls. I shake my head.

"That's not what I meant. Things happened, Rogers. Time went on with us. Stuff came in the way. I just can't be near anything like that, no matter who it is," I argue. He stands back up.

"Talk to me then. Tell me what happened. I tried calling after New York. I tried calling again after SHIELD fell. I almost gave up the idea of calling you after Ultron until Fury mentioned he wanted you to join the team. I wanted to be open with you. So be open with me since I'm here," Steve pleads. I tense.

"I want to. Fuck, I need to Steve, but I can't. I told Fury I wouldn't mention anything. I even said too much telling you how I got that damn scar," I sigh. Steve turns away.

"Then until you're ready to say something, I think we're done," he mutters, walking away. I turn back to the punching bag, hitting even harder than ever.

I make my call around seven in the morning. I don't even wait for Lys to say something. "Tell me about Carper," I demand. Lys sighs. She's a doctor at Helmsworth, an ex SHIELD agent. She quit after going undercover in what ended up being Hydra.

"What do you need to know?" Lys asks. I rub my shoulder. I never went back to bed.

"Where would she be now? We need her," I answer. I can hear Lys typing on the computer, looking through files.

"There's a town in Maryland. It was a Hydra hot spot. She'd be there if anywhere. I'll send the coordinates. How's Avengers life treating you?" Lys explains.

"One day in and Steve is already asking all the right questions to hit at Jason," I sigh.

"How do you respond?" Lys asks.

"I tell him there are some things he's not allowed to know, and that it's not my call," I tell her.

"Now to be the doctor… How are the nightmares?" Lys inquires. I bite my lip.

"They're nightmares. They come more often than pleasant dreams. What else can be said?" I reply.

"Just keep holding on, Annie. You're strong. If you ever need to talk, know that I'm here. I'm still your doctor," Lys reminds me. I hang up the phone and get dressed. I run into Nat in the hall.

"Steve seems tense this morning," Nat points out.

"That's his problem," I mutter. Nat stops us.

"What happened? I know something did. You're both avoiding it," Nat pushes. I look around.

"I had a nightmare and went to blow off some steam in the gym. Rogers found me and we started talking. It all hit around Jason and I refused to answer," I explain quietly.

"You need to tell him. I get TAHITI and I get SHIELD, but you have to talk about Jason. You won't move on otherwise," Nat advises. I shake my head.

"I can't, Nat. Let's go. I have information on Carper," I reply. We go back to the conference room. Steve glares at me but neither of us says anything. I pull up the email Lys just sent with Carper's file and I pull it up on the screen. "I talked to the doctor who worked with Carper early on. She gave me coordinates to a place where Carper most likely is," I explain.

"Why did they call it the Mate Project?" Sam asks, reading the words on the screen.

"Hydra saw Carper and the Winter Soldier as a bit less than actual human, a different breed. Using their logic, they decided that mate was a fair term to use," I explain.

"So they gave him someone to love," Nat points out.

"In a way," I confirm. "They gave him an anchor. She allowed them to have complete control over him. If he finished a mission, they allowed him a few hours with her before he was sent back."

"That's torture," Steve mutters."We'll leave for the town after Wanda gets here. It'll be a good first mission."

"When will the Vision join us?" Nat asks, leaning back in her chair.

"He's helping Stark at the moment. He'll come afterwards," Steve replies. "Do you have anything else, Annie?"

"No, I don't. I'll do what I can to figure out more about the town. Until then, we just wait for Wanda," I sigh, crossing my arms.

"Alright, everyone read the file. We'll need to be ready to act fast with Carper," Steve instructs, standing up. I send the file to the others, looking up at Steve. So this is our life now. I guess I had to make that decision. Now it's time to live with the consequences.

 **A/N: Back with chapter 2! We learn a little more about Annie. When SHIELD fell, she got shot trying to save someone. We also meet a new character! I (looking ahead another like 12 chapters) have not mentioned Lys' full name. So, here it is. Dr. Elysia "Lys" Lockland. She is my first OC for the Marvel universe, and she's changed a ton. She is the head of Helmsworth, which as I have not really talked about it is basically an asylum for Avengers, SHIELD agents, Enhanced, etc. I'll go more into detail on them later. I will also go more into detail on Lys much, much later. Let's talk about Carper. Evynne popped into my mind around the time I watched Winter Soldier. She also has grown and changed over time, leaving us with this. What is Mate Project? If any of you are familiar with Alpha/Beta/Omega Universe, you have some idea of how the Evynne/Bucky thing will probably work. I can go into more detail as we see this go into play, but consider Carper the overall GPS tracker to Bucky. Final bit here, Jason... You will soon figure out what's going on with that. You might be able to have some idea of what is going on, but probably not too much a clear idea. Hopefully it'll be something to spark your interest. Thank you all for reading. We are slowly gaining views here, and I have high hopes for this story. If you feel like you don't want to continue it, I would suggest you to give it some time. Next chapter will have some pretty heavy emotions, and we will actually see Wanda, because Scarlet Witch is freaking epic. I hope you enjoy this chapter though, and please leave a review! I love to know what you all think. It not only brightens my day, but it allows me a chance to see what works and what doesn't within a story. That helps me to write better, and to give you all as my readers what you want. So, as it's very important and has in the past decided the fate of fan fictions, please consider leaving a review, even just a guest review. Thank you all again!**


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sparring with Nat. Steve avoids me now, though Sam and I are getting along well. Wanda is supposed to arrive today. "You've gotten better," Nat pants as we finish up.

"I never got to see you fight," Steve suddenly chimes in.

"So you're talking to me now," I chuckle, turning towards him. "Could you hand me a towel?" Steve complies. The door opens.

"Sam told me you vere in here," a woman stumbles. I look over and we lock eyes.

"Annie, this is Wanda. Wanda, meet Annie Coulson," Steve sighs. I wave. Wanda's eyes narrow.

"I can feel your pain, Annie. A mother without her child," Wanda mutters. I freeze. Damn it. Out of everything she could have picked up with me and it had to be that. I storm out of the gym avoiding Steve who seems confused. I glare at Wanda. The moment things get better and someone has to tear that away from me. I step into a steaming hot shower, tears forming in my eyes. I replay everything again in my head. Shaking, I sit on the floor, letting the water hit my skin.

"Annie, what was that about?" Steve storms in. I say nothing. I don't even acknowledge his presence. He pulls back the curtain, turning off the water. He steps away for a moment, grabbing a towel which he wraps me in. "I think we need to talk," he urges.

"N-not now," I mutter. His eyes narrow.

"What's wrong?" he asks, pushing back my hair. I still don't look at him. I just see what happened play in my mind over and over. I swallow hard.

"Please, don't push, not now," I cry. He sighs, picking me up and carrying me to my room. He tosses me my pajamas, which I automatically slip into as he turns away. When I finish, I curl my knees up to my chest. "I-In the top drawer th-there's a pill bottle," I point. Steve grabs it and hands it to me. I swallow a pill, still shaking.

"Annie, you need to talk to me. What did Wanda mean? I know she read something in your mind. What was it?" Steve softly asks. I look over at him. I study his eyes, those light blue pools.

"The person I tried to save…He was only two, almost three," I mutter. Steve rests a hand on my shoulder. I flinch, pulling away from his touch.

"Who was he? Why did Hydra want him dead?" Steve inquires. I start crying.

"D-Don't ask that, please don't ask that," I plead.

"Annie, come on. Just tell me. I'm here for you," he urges. I close my eyes shaking my head.

"His n-name was Jason," I mutter. Steve gives me that look he has when he doesn't understand something, when I avoid his questions. I see it all again, me thrusting the boy behind me when the Hydra agents stormed in, me screaming no as the gun went off. "Steven, there's a reason Fury didn't let me go back to help you adjust after I finished that mission," I breathe. Steve wipes my eyes.

"Alright, I'm worried now. You used my full name," Steve sighs. I chuckle, closing my eyes.

"Jason was the reason," I continue. Suddenly my voice just stops. I can't do this. I can't tell him. Steve pulls me towards him. He thinks for a moment. He suddenly pulls back, shaking his head.

"A mother without a… Annie, please tell me this kid wasn't…" Steve stops, staring at me. The look in my eyes must be enough, because he stands up and starts pacing the room, running his hands through his hair. "One time, that was it. Why the HELL didn't you tell me?" he rages on. I rest my forehead against my knees, crying again entirely.

"Fury begged me not to! This wasn't my choice! He didn't want you to have anything in the way of your adjustment. You were too damn valuable, and it all fucking went to hell when Hydra took over," I yell.

"So this is all my fault?" Steve asks. I look up.

"You still don't get it. You're the super soldier, the prize experiment. Hydra wanted Jason dead. You still don't see why," I growl. He studies me for a moment.

"You went to Helmsworth twice. Why?" Steve demands. I take a deep breath.

"I watched him die. He died screaming in pain in my arms. You see how I am now? You see these damn pills? It broke me apart. That is why I can't be in a relationship with anyone. I can't get close. They were lucky enough to get me to work," I explain.

"So you push me away because of that. You hide it from me, but tell me it was all my fault and that he was my son," Steve argues. He takes a deep breath like that last word is painful, which it probably is. He glares at me, lost in thought. "Where is the logic in this? Where does that leave us?"

"I don't know. I-I wish I did, but I don't," I mutter. He sits down in a chair.

"Nat kept trying to get me with someone. I almost started falling for this agent, Sharon, who happened to be related to Peggy. I was about to ask her out, and then I remembered you. I couldn't go on with it, not after that," Steve muses.

"What's that supposed to do?" I ask. I'm finally calming down, the medication working. Steve looks at me.

"What was he like?" he breathes. "What was Jason like?" I reach back beneath my pillow, handing Steve a picture.

"He was every damn bit like his father," I mutter. "Keep it. I have another. You should go get Wanda settled in." Steve shakes his head.

"I already have Nat working on that. I need you to be honest. Do you have other secrets?" Steve asks, slipping the picture into his pocket.

"Yes," I answer. "Fury has entrusted me with some information that I am not allowed to speak of to anyone."

"If it ever becomes necessary, will you trust me with those secrets?" Steve inquires. We lock eyes.

"You trusted me when you woke up in a new world. I'll trust you the same way," I reply. He leans forward.

"I know why you don't want to get close to me again, but Annie, I realized something. I realized it when I was about to ask Sharon out. I love you," Steve tells me. I look down, shaking my head.

"Steve, please don't be like that. Don't make it harder on me," I beg.

"Can you work? Will you be able to work with us?" Steve asks. I look up.

"If I felt I couldn't, then I would have told Fury no," I remind him .Smiling, Steve stands.

"Then you better work hard. None of this is easy. Being an Avenger is one of the hardest positions you can take on," Steve instructs. I nod slowly, watching him leave the room, his hand slipping into his pocket.

 **A/N: And we have feels. So many feels. I just... Where this came from I don't even know. Wanda enters the game, and our first big secret gets revealed. Are we preparing for the thrill ride? Because I'm not stopping with insanity here. I'm really not. Okay, Jason. Let's unpack this. We learn more about that whirl wind as time goes on. We will touch on how this happened and all the rest. Trust me. Next on our list. Annie's medication. I think we can obviously say anxiety issues, which when your brain is like Annie's isn't very good. Thus she went to Helmsworth. But wait... We know the one time was because of Jason... But what about the other time? Yeah I'm not telling right now. Side notes! I am currently watching Jessica Jones on Netflix. WOW. That's what I have to say. Don't be surprised if we have some New York residents entering the plot line at some point. I also just watched Mockingjay Part 2 last night (needless to say so many tears). Best book to movie adaption I have ever seen. Ever. Alright, I'm done for now. Sneak peek for next chapter... With Wanda in the team we obviously are going to be going to get Carper. So that's next. Yay. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always please leave a review!**


	4. Chapter 4

We leave in the early morning. I sit near Nat on the plane, away from Steve and especially away from Wanda. "So I'm guessing you told him," Nat remarks. I glare at her.

"I didn't have a choice," I remind her, glancing over at Wanda.

"Give her a break. She reads minds. Sometimes she can't help it. It's not her fault. It's what they did to her," Nat advises. I bite my lip, looking down.

"He was angry at first. I should have said something. I should have decided just to call him and ignore Fury," I muse. Nat pats my back.

"Annie, you did the right thing. Focus now on what's ahead. Carper will need someone to lean on. You might be the best person," Nat assures. I look up at her.

"Helmsworth will be a better option, but I'll do what I can until we can get her there," I promise. Wanda walks over.

"I vanted to apologize about yesterday. Perhaps I was too forvard. I should not have said anything," Wanda sighs. I smile.

"I know what that's like. Sometimes I can hear thoughts too, if I focus enough. You and I have a difficult gift. We have to do what we have to do," I assure her. She briefly smiles, and I look over at Steve. He sits next to Sam, who's piloting the plane. "How long until we land?" I call out. Steve looks back.

"It shouldn't be too much longer," Steve replies. He looks back at the sky and then stands, walking back to us. "When we got on the ground, I want Wanda and Annie monitoring things. You two don't go in until we have Carper in our hands," he instructs.

"Are you sure?" Nat asks.

"It's our best shot," Steve replies. He studies us. "From here we'll go straight to Helmsworth, where we'll examine things and move forward. Let's hope Carper can help us find Barnes." He slides his hand into his pocket.

"Do ve know if there are any other people here?" Wanda asks.

"That's actually a good question," I mutter. I lean back. I have this feeling in the pit of my stomach that something else is at this base. It unnerves me, and excites me all the same. Why am I like this?

"We'll keep our eyes out just in case," Steve assures. With that he goes back to his post.

"You look pale," Nat remarks. I shrug.

"I just can't shake this feeling that something is off," I mutter. "I think there is someone else there, someone important."

"Could it be Barnes?" Nat asks. Wanda and I both shake our heads.

"They wouldn't keep them together," I point out. I go walk to the bathroom on the plane, taking out my pill bottle. I'd rather be safe than sorry, and I can already feel myself starting to tremble. I take a little pink pill in the palm of my hand, staring in the mirror. How many times will I be forced to take this damn thing? How broken have I become? I swallow the pill and return to the others. We're starting to land.

The others leave quickly. Wanda and I sit in the cockpit waiting for confirmation. I tap my fingers against my knee. I was never patient. "Your mother died as vell, didn't she?" Wanda asks out of the blue.

"I was 16. She and I were on a mission," I mutter.

"You have been through a lot," Wanda remarks. "You must be very strong." I laugh.

"I guess you could say that," I agree. I look down at my watch. "What can you sense?" I ask. Wanda shuts her eyes.

"Youth," she mumbles. "I sense youth and fear, two of them."

"Can you get a read on the second one?"

"No, I cannot. It is male, but I cannot tell a name. He is just afraid, very afraid," she replies. I shiver.

"We're in," Steve's hushed voice breaks on the communicator. I look over at it.

"Wanda has a read on two subjects. Those are your targets," I reply.

"Got you," Steve confirms. I look back over at Wanda. She's shaking.

"What's wrong?" I ask. Her eyes meet mine.

"I-I can feel their pain. They know we are in there. They are afraid though," she mutters. I grab her hand.

"We're going to get them," I assure her. She sighs, biting her lip. There's something more that she isn't saying. I won't push. It'd be hypocritical.

"The one… The nameless one… He's more afraid," she breathes. We both fall quiet. I find myself worrying. The pill is doing nothing. I need another. Standing up, I feel the room spinning. I go to the bathroom and suddenly feel the need to vomit. Afterwards, I wash my face and swallow another pill. Staring in the mirror, I take a deep breath. Finally I pull myself out of the room.

"We got her," Steve announces on the communicator. I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Steve, I've got the other one. You're not going to believe this," Nat's voice adds. "I'm going straight back to the plane. Be ready for me."

"Romanov, don't you dare," Steve orders.

"Trust me, we need to get this one out now. Get Carper back to the plane," Nat replies. They both stop talking and I sit down. Why am I so afraid? Why am I nervous?

"You need to keep breathing," Wanda instructs. I look up at her, confused. "I can feel your agony. Just breathe." I quickly nod, breathing in and out softly. I can sense Nat coming and we open the plane. She steps on with a small bundle in her arms.

"Get a cot," she snaps. I jump to my feet, complying with her. She rests the bundle on the cot, still keeping the person covered. She meets my eyes. "You may want to sit down for this," she softly suggests. I shake my head.

"What's wrong?" I ask. She looks over at Wanda.

"Annie, whatever happened when SHIELD fell, you don't remember it correctly," Nat explains.

"What do you mean? I replay it all the fucking time in my head! What is going on here?" I demand. She takes a deep breath and pulls back the blanket as Steve walks onto the plane with Carper and Sam. I stare down at the boy. He's about four years old. I start shaking, sobs catching in my throat. "No, oh my god, oh my god," I mutter. Steve rests Carper down on a bench, taking me in his arms. I shake my head, reaching out to him. "Jasie," I mutter under my breath.

"How is this even possible?" Steve asks. Nat shrugs. Steve sighs. "Sam, get us in the air. Wanda, you and Nat keep Carper under," he orders, letting me go. I walk over to the cot, kneeing on the ground as we lift into the air. He's so pale. I watch his breath. Grabbing his hand, I sob tears of joy. This is my son. This is my Jason. Steve sits down next to me.

"I don't understand," I breathe, looking up at him. Steve shakes his head.

"I wish I could help. Sam got the files they had. We might be able to find an answer there," he sighs. Jason stirs, and I push back his hair. His eyes flutter open and he looks up at me. Without a word he starts shaking and crying.

"Hush, buddy, hush," I soothe. "It's okay. You're safe now. You're all safe." His brow furrows.

"Momma?" he asks. I nod my head with a smile.

"Hey Jasie," I sigh. I look up at Steve. "Jasie, it's time you met your father."

 **A/N: *mic drop* Yeah, that shit happened. Let's take a step back now. I point you to Annie's comment about her mother dying. They were on a mission together. Think about that. Just think. Wanda's ability also helped me have fun with hinting and taunting at things. I enjoyed writing this chapter last week. Well, we have some more secrets apparently. Things are getting heated and complicated now. I'm pretty pumped and hope you all enjoy this. I am not sure when I'll be able to update next because I'll be away for a bit, however I will post as soon as I can. Next chapter will clearly be some processing of what's going on here, particularly about Carper and Jason. So that's that I guess. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and PLEASE leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

We're almost at Helmsworth. Carper is still under, mainly for her own sake. I sit across from her, Jason curled up in my lap. I hold him tight, afraid that it's all some dream. Steve sits next to me, both of us silent. Jason keeps sleeping and waking up. He's exhausted, the poor boy. I've debated going and calling my father, but I didn't. I can't, not until we reach Helmsworth. Jason wakes up again, pressing his head against me. "How do you feel?" I ask softly. He's so thin, and his hair is longer than I would have it and matted in places. A good bath and meal will do him so well. Steve reaches over at pats Jason's knee.

"Momma, I want food," he mutters. I pout.

"We'll eat when we get to Helmsworth, buddy," I assure him. "We'll get you a nice warm bath, and some food. Then you can sleep in a bed. How does that sound?" He shrugs.

"We'll have to have a doctor check him out," Steve reminds me. I nod quickly.

"I know," I sigh. "They can do that while we talk to Carper."

"How are you holding up?" Steve asks me. I look down at my son.

"I'm a bit shaken up, but I'm better than I have been in a while," I reply. Jason looks over at Steve.

"Momma, can I sit with Daddy now?" the four year old asks. I look at Steve, wondering how he'll respond.

"That's fine by me," Steve smiles. I let go of Jason reluctantly. He crawls off my lap and walks over to Steve. I stand up, my legs stiff.

"I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be back," I tell Steve. He nods in acknowledgement. I shut myself in the bathroom and lean against the door, taking out my phone. I dial Dad's number.

"What do you need?" he asks as soon as he answers. I rub my temple.

"We just invaded an old Hydra base. You won't believe who was there," I reply.

"Are you okay? You sound off," Dad remarks. He falls silent for a moment. "Who was there?"

"Jason," I answer.

"That's not possible," he denies. "Are you sure?" I wipe away a lone tear.

"I'm sure, Dad. We're going to Helmsworth now. I'm having him checked out there," I explain.

"How are you holding up?" Dad asks.

"I'm a bit shaken up, but I'm okay," I assure. "He knows, though. I had to tell him. Jason is with him right now."

"Let him back in, Annie. You two will need each other more than ever now," Dad instructs. I close my eyes.

"We have enough on our plates right now. We're searching for Barnes. That why we went to this base. We needed Evynne Carper," I explain. Dad sighs.

"Anneliese, you need to let him in. Lys will tell you the same thing," Dad pushes.

"I'll do what I can," I mutter, ending the call. I go back over to where Steve and Jason are. Sam stops me though.

"Who's the kid?" he asks. I bite my lip.

"Did Steve tell you how we met?" I inquire. He nods. "Our last night we, uh, slept together. Jason is our son," I explain.

"That's really something," Sam sighs. "How's Carper?"

"She's still out," I reply. "How long until we reach Helmsworth?"

"We should be there in less than an hour," Sam estimates. I smile and nod before continuing on my way. Steve and Jason are talking and laughing. I can't help but smile. I could have had this earlier.

"You two look like you're having fun," I remark. Steve looks up and Jason as well.

"He's a soldier!" Jason enthuses. I laugh, sitting next to them.

"He's one the best," I wink.

"Your mother is sort of a soldier now too," Steve points out. I roll my eyes.

"I'd say an Avenger is something a little different," I argue. Jason looks up at me.

"Momma, why did the bad men take me away?" Jason asks. I close my eyes, wincing. So he does remember what happened, even if my memory is obviously different.

"Bad men do bad things, Jasie," I sigh. Steve reaches over and squeezes my hand. "We should be landing within the hour," I tell him.

"That'll be good. I think the medication is going to start wearing off," Steve remarks. I look over at Carper. She's practically a skeleton, skin and bones. Hydra must have starved her, and Jason too. It makes me want to kill them all. I grab a brush and start attempting to manage Jason's hair. He squirms and whimpers in my grasp, but Steve starts telling him stories of being a soldier, and how Steve had to be brave. He used to tell me those pre-serum stories late at night after I had spent hours trying to catch him up on history or technology.

By the time we land, I have almost all of Jason's mats taken care of, and Carper is starting to stir. Lys meets us with a gurney, though freezes when she sees Jason. Her eyes meet mine, wide in wonder. I just nod, biting my lip and leading my son inside. Helmsworth is an old mansion out in the middle of a forest, making it the perfect place for a headquarters. There aren't many people here now, just the core. That includes Lys, Artie (their tech guy), Mia (an Enhanced with a major temper), and Rowan, a woman with no memory found by a tree one day a few years ago. "Annie Coulson, good to have you back!" Artie calls. He freezes when he enters the room. "Holy fuck, that's not, is it?" he stammers, messing with his glasses. I nod slowly.

"Jasie, go with Artie here. He's going to check you out," I tell my son softly. He clings to my shirt, looking up at me.

"Momma, I don't wanna leave you," he whines.

"I'll go with him, Annie. You go with Carper," Steve suddenly comes in.

"Steve, this is Artie," I sigh. "Jasie, go with Daddy okay?" The boy finally caves, and I turn to face Lys. Sam and Nat are wheeling Carper down the hall.

"That's Jason," she points out.

"That it is. What the hell actually happened when SHIELD fell, Lys? I know you know," I growl. She looks away.

"Fury thought it would be best if you thought him dead. Hydra captured Jason after shooting you. We knew you'd panic and do something drastic to get him back. Your brain was willing to work with us, and created false memories on its own," Lys explains. My fist clenches and I'm so close to wanting to punch her.

"He was my son, Lys! He was my fucking son and you lied to me! Do the pills even do shit?" I scream. Lys nods.

"I didn't lie about your condition. You're emotionally and mentally unstable from the accident. The pills keep that at bay so you don't break down again," Lys replies coldly. "Let's deal with Evynne now. Rogers wants you with her." I follow the woman reluctantly, her blonde pony tail swinging back and forth as she walks. Evynne is awake now. I can hear her screams before we even reach the room. She's restrained to a bed, eyes wide in terror.

"Everyone out. I'll talk to her one on one," I order, sitting next to the bed. I rest my hand on Evynne's arm as they all leave and start humming softly. Evynne stops screaming, panting heavily. I look in her eyes, looking in deeply. "It's okay, Evynne. You're safe here. No one will hurt you. We are here to help," I assure softly, as though she is a child. She tries pulling against the restraints.

"J-J-James," she mutters. "The Winter Soldier." I nod slowly.

"They made it so that you know where he is. I know that. I'm here to listen. We want to help him, too. The blonde man who saved you is his good friend, but he doesn't remember. We can't help the Winter Soldier remember unless you help us," I softly explain.

"Th-The boy… Where is th-the boy?" Evynne asks.

"He's safe. They're taking care of him. Jason is my son," I answer. She quickly smiles, but shakes her head.

"I-I need J-James," she mutters. She looks up at me and starts repeating a set of coordinates over and over again. She then breaks down sobbing until she passes out again. I take a moment to write down what she said and hook her up to the machines monitoring her vitals. She'll have a long road ahead of her. Sighing, I step out into the hall, handing Nat the paper. Now it's time to finally face Steve one on one.

 **A/N: Okay I am finally back everyone! Sorry for delays this past week has been family chaos after family chaos. This means that I don't know how often I will be posting... A lot of things are up in the air at the moment. So I will post as I can. This chapter... I don't really know what exactly to explain. My head is just all kinds of places at the moment. Helmsworth. It's an epic base. Helmsworth people... Lys, Artie, Mia, and Rowan. We will hit each of those later. Lys is in charge of psychology/medical stuff, Artie is tech, and the other two live at Helmsworth. That's what you need to know. Carper. Okay let's talk Carper. She knows Jason and she really wants Barnes. It shall all be explained with time... Lys also has been keeping some secrets from Annie. All because Fury told her to... Yeah that'll come up later as well. That's all I got for now. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always live a review!**


	6. Chapter 6

It's night now. Steve went straight to touch base with Lys about Evynne's condition, so I haven't been able to talk to him. Jason is asleep in my arms, the two of us in the room Artie gave him. He'll be okay, thankfully. Steve opens the door, leaning against the door frame. "Are you going to let him be alone?" he chuckles. I look back at him.

"I'm afraid that he won't be here in the morning. I'm afraid it's all some crazy dream," I sigh.

"We should talk. Let him sleep," Steve reminds me. I kiss Jason's forehead and reluctantly leave the room, following Steve to my room which is right across from Jason's. I shut the door behind us so we can have some privacy. "The board has changed, Annie," he remarks.

"I know that," I agree. "They lied to me. They let me believe this nightmare my head concocted. Even when I was stable they didn't bother telling me the truth."

"Lys told me it was Fury's orders," Steve points out. I nod, biting my lip.

"Does that do anything? He's playing us all. He has me keeping secrets and he's keeping the most important one from me. That drove us apart, Steve," I cry. He rests his hands on my arms.

"So what are you going to do now?" Steve asks. "This is your decision now, not anyone else's. If you want to leave and take care of Jason, I will understand."

"I want to help you, Steve. I want to be there, for you. I want to be there for Jason too, but… You know I never got to have both my parents be a family. Jason should have that change," I explain. Steve rests his forehead against mine.

"If you stay, I can't guarantee that it won't drive me crazy. I meant what I said the other day, Annie. I love you," Steve mutters. I close my eyes, leaning up to press my lips against his.

"This is my choice then," I whisper as I pull back slightly. He wraps his arms around me, pressing his lips back against mine more desperately than I did. We make out for a while like we can't breathe without the other near us. Finally Steve pulls back.

"I'm stopping here, Annie. It's been a long day. You need to get some rest," he pants. I nod, going to change into my pajamas. When I return, Steve is sitting in a chair looking at the picture I gave him. I crawl into bed quietly, and Steve gets up to join me. I don't even remember falling asleep.

In the morning we all sit in the dining room for breakfast. Jason is picking at his food, Wanda more quiet than normal. I guess she didn't think she'd be right back here. Mia is trying to get Jason to eat, but he just pouts. Steve sits next to me, staring at Nat and Sam. "We have our answer," Steve remarks.

"What are we going to do about it?" I ask, turning over to Jason. "Jasie, eat your food," I mutter. The boy looks up at me and finally complies. I look back over at the others.

"We need to get him," Steve replies.

"When do we leave?" Nat asks.

"The plane needs to be refueled before we do that," Sam adds. Steve thinks for a moment.

"We'll leave when we feel we should. I want to make sure Carper is relatively stable before we go. We need her ready to see Bucky," Steve explains.

"Would you guys mind if I stayed here?" I ask. "I can help with Evynne. She's trusting me. I can work with that."

"I have to say I agree. If Evynne trusts Annie, then we need to let them work together. Otherwise she won't get stable," Lys agrees. I raise an eyebrow at Steve.

"It's your call, Captain," I remind him.

"You should stay," he sighs. He looks over at Mia. "Can you join us?" he asks her. She looks up.

"I haven't been in the field for a while, but I should be able to help," she remarks.

"Go with him, Mia. It'll give you something to do," Lys orders. "Artie, make sure their plane is fueled. Carper is fairly stable right now. She needs a lot of rest, and a lot of nutrients. I have her on an IV at the moment. Annie can keep talking to her and maybe coax her to actually try and eat on her own. I think that she won't improve psychologically until Barnes gets her."

"Then it's settled. We'll leave tomorrow morning," Steve sighs. He gets up and stretches. I can see his shirt strain against his muscles. Damn, sometimes I wish I could just tear off all his clothes. I avoid these thoughts and look back down at Jason. He's actually eating now, which is good. I'm going to be cutting and fixing his hair after breakfast.

After taking care of Jason, I go to see Evynne. She's awake now, and very quiet. She looks at me. "They're going to leave tomorrow to get Barnes," I tell her. She smiles.

"I want to s-see the boy," she tells me. I bite my lip.

"If you eat some toast I can bring him in later. He's playing outside right now with his father. He needs the exercise. When you get a bit better you can go outside too," I explain, sitting next to the bed with a plate of toast in my lap.

"T-Toast?" she asks. I smile.

"You need to eat. Your body is a bit sick because they wouldn't give you enough food where you were. We can help with that. The IV there is helping some, but it's better if you can actually eat something," I reply. She nods slowly and then quickly. Her brow furrows as she looks at me.

"Do… D-Do you know my name?" she inquires softly. "Th-they wouldn't tell me. I-I've forgotten." I frown. She's been through more than I thought.

"Evynne Carper," I tell her. She mouths it and I hand her a piece of toast. "You've been with them for years, most of your life. You were younger than the boy, Jason, when they took you in." She holds the toast in her shaking hand. Hesitantly, she takes a bite. I rest a hand on her knee.

"I-I need J-James," she cries. Her breathing quickens and I try and hush her down.

"It's okay, Evynne. They're going to get him. It's all going to be okay," I assure. She takes another bite of toast, sniffling as she quiets down. It's going to be a long road, but I think it may be a bit easier than we originally thought. I leave shortly after she eats to go call Dad. I let him know what's going on and explain what we found out about Jason.

"I want to meet him," he announces.

"They're all leaving to find Barnes tomorrow. Steve will be gone for a bit. That's your best chance," I explain.

"Then I'll come tomorrow evening. How's Carper?" Dad asks.

"She's getting there slowly. I don't think it'll be easy, but it won't be hard either. She needs constant assuring just to get her to eat, but she's calmed down a lot," I answer.

"That's good. I'll see you soon," he sighs, hanging up.

"Was that your dad?" Artie asks. I nod. "How's he holding up?"

"He sounds fine," I reply with a sigh. "Evynne ate some toast. She wants to see Jason. I'm guessing that whatever Hydra did they at least let these two see each other."

"It'll be good then. She has some foundation to work with," Artie muses. He looks outside. "Go out with them. You have a chance to be a family. Enjoy it," he winks. I smile, walking out into the backyard. Steve is teaching Jason how to throw a ball. I almost wish this moment could last forever, but I know it never can.

 **A/N: I swear it's when the month changes I can best see what stories are most popular. This is one of them. So, we update. We have a lot of stuff in this chapter... Steve and Annie are slowly making up (which is adorable), and they finally get to get ready to save Bucky, plus Evynne is finally showing her tragic side (expect a lot of character growth with her. I swear it). Oh, and COULSON IS COMING! I'm excited. I am so excited. Next chapter has its witty moments and is one of my favorites. It does hold my favorite scene. On a side note, yes I adored the Civil War trailer and yes the Captain America side poster is my current phone background. Back to plot. Artie and Annie is my topic of choice this time. I love them as friends, but they aren't anything more and never will be. Just to get it out there, Artie does actually have a love interest. I'm not saying who but it's a thing. Trust me. I adore them. Now let's look ahead. Aside from Coulson, the team will be going to get Bucky (I will say that I cringe at realizing how this will differ from movie canon but hey what's done is done and I will eventually get things a little bit more on track). There will be reunions both expected and unexpected actually, but I'll leave that there. So, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I really hope some of you decide to leave a review! Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

It's evening. Steve has entered my room, pinning me against the wall kissing me roughly. "What's with this?" I ask with a chuckle when he finally pulls back.

"It's been four years," he replies. I kiss him back, not bothering to reach his lips but pressing my own against his neck. His breath hitches.

"I missed you," I confess as we pull each other over to the bed. Am I insane by doing this? I don't even know anymore. I honestly don't care. I'm learning that I have to take everything as it comes, bit by bit. I just know I have a chance for one more night with this man, and it helps me forget tomorrow. Anything could go wrong with this mission. Not only that, but after five years I will finally be face to face with my father, not just a voice on a phone. I need to forget that now, at least for this moment. I feel Steve's skin against mine, and my mind amplifies every sensation. It might actually be the best part of my mutation.

Morning comes and my bed is empty, at least until the door opens. "Momma, I can't sleep," Jason mutters with a yawn. I open my eyes with a sigh.

"Come here, Jasie," I offer. He curls into bed with me. I'm in Steve's shirt, still able to smell his scent.

"I had a bad dream," Jason mumbles. I rub his cheek with my son.

"You poor boy," I sigh. "Go back to sleep. Momma will protect you." Soon he's sleeping, but I can't seem to join him. I look at the note on the pillow. It's just Steve saying he didn't want to wake me but he left. With a sigh, I toss it on the floor and turn back to my son. I hold him in my embrace, lost in thought. Checking my phone I learn that Dad will be here around noon. I'm sure he won't stay long, not as busy as he is, but that's probably for the better. He doesn't need to stay long, and if Steve gets back earlier than we thought, it'd be better if Dad wasn't still around.

I spend my morning with Evynne, Jason getting a more thorough evaluation by Lys and Artie. Noon rolls around soon enough though and I find myself outside as Dad pulls in. It's just him. He steps out and smiles at us. "You cut your hair since I last saw you," he calls out with a laugh as he walks forward. Jason clings to my leg.

"It's been five years. I'm not going to stay the same," I call back. Dad walks up to us, looking me over. His eyes meet Jason.

"He looks almost exactly like his father," he points out, shaking his head.

"Momma, who's this?" Jason asks.

"This is my daddy, Jasie. This is your grandfather," I introduce. Dad kneels, smiling at Jason. He pulls a toy car out of his pocket.

"I brought you something," he offers. Jason looks at it for a moment before taking it.

"Thank you," he mumbles. Dad stands, crossing his arms as he stares at my neck.

"Is that a hickey?" Dad asks. I bite my lip, slowly nodding. "Be glad Rogers is gone then." We both laugh, walking inside. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright. It's calmed down now. Have you talked with Fury?" I reply. Dad shakes his head.

"I've a lot on my own plate, Annie," he reminds me. I sigh.

"You're Director Phil Coulson, of course you're busy," I tease. He messes with my hair. Jason runs off to play with his car. "Was that a replica of Lola?" I laugh.

"Who knows? One day the kid might inherit it one day," Dad replies.

"You beat death once, Dad. I doubt they'll let you go next time," I sigh. We go into the library and take a seat. "I need to talk with Fury at some point," I remark.

"I figured you'd want to. If he tries to contact me, I'll pass the message along," Dad agrees. "How's life as an Avenger?"

"Let's see… I learned my dead son wasn't actually dead, got reunited with a man I didn't really date but sort of did, and oh yeah, there's Evynne Carper," I reply.

"In other words, just work?" Dad inquires.

"Pretty much," I confirm. "The bullet did nick Jason when it went through me. There's a scar on his side."

"He seems like a good kid, just a bit shy," Dad points out.

"I'd be shy too if I was Hydra's pet for a year," I mutter.

"Anne, relax. He's safe now. That's what matters," Dad reminds me.

"Tell me about Mom again, how I came about," I ask. He goes quiet for a moment.

"It was a onetime thing as well. We were undercover, both of us just starting out in SHIELD. There's not much else to say," Dad explains. I nod slowly.

"How's your team?" I ask.

"Just work," he sighs. Artie steps into the room.

"We just got confirmation that Rogers and the others made it to the base. It won't be too much longer now," Artie announces.

"That was rather quick," I remark. Artie shrugs.

"The coordinates were closer than we thought. No wonder Carper was so desperate when you found her. They were closer than they thought," Artie sighs. "Hello Director Coulson."

"Hi Artie," Dad replies. He looks over at me. "Maybe I should stay. They can't keep me quiet to the Avengers forever. Fury will just have to live with it."

"I don't know. Steve's had a lot of shocks the past week. I don't want to overdo it," I caution.

"Talk to him first then, when he gets back," Artie suggests. I shake my head.

"He'll want to be by Bucky's side. They were good friends, brothers almost," I remind him.

"I'm staying. I'll stay out of his way at first and then I'll meet with him. That'll give you time to talk to him. I'll handle the others," Dad instructs. I know that when he gets that tone that there is nothing I can say to change his mind. I slowly just nod.

It's probably around nine by the time that they all finally return. Everyone is exhausted, Jason back in bed. Steve and Sam lead a passed out Bucky into the main hall, Lys ready to treat him. Wanda, Nat, and Mia all have their own injuries. Steve has a fair cut on his cheek. I fight the urge to run forward to him. I wait until he steps out of the recovery room, leaving Lys to do her work. I can hear Evynne's whimpering and crying down the hall. Rowan is with her though. I quickly hug Steve. "I heard it was rough," I mutter into his chest.

"I've seen worse," he sighs. I look up at him.

"Do you think he'll be okay?" I ask.

"Lys thinks so," Steve replies. I bite my lip. Dad is sitting in Jason's room. After last night's nightmare I don't want the boy to be alone.

"We need to talk," I tell him. The super soldier looks down at me.

"Is everything okay?" Steve asks. I nod.

"We just need to talk," I reply.

"We'll talk when Bucky is stable," Steve assures me. I run my fingers through my hair. It'll be one long night.

 **A/N: I love every inch and word of this chapter. I adore it so much. Oh gosh, Coulson and Annie have the best relationship. *deep breath* Okay so let's go piece by piece. Yeah, Steve finally decides to let down the gentleman stuff, not that Annie cares, or ever would. Also, poor Jason does get nightmares. WHAT DID YOU EXPECT? Then we get some pretty funny father/daughter moments. I will say that we will have more moments like these. Back to that in a moment though. Now, BUCKY RETURNS! I love Bucky to death. I really do. However, it does complicate things. Annie is about to have a lot of explaining to do... There is that though. Let's chat about Annie and Coulson now. So some background from what we now know is that Annie's mother and Coulson went undercover and had a one night stand (like parents like daughter it seems) and Annie happened. Later on the mother passed away. Coulson and Annie have always been close though. This is that part of me that I put into my characters, as I had such a close relationship with my dad until he passed on. It's fun to see that dynamic though and it's one of the reasons I decided to write this. Fun fact- I actually got the idea of Annie after reading a reader insert fan fiction over the summer. Next chapter look forward to Coulson and Steve seeing each other and some Bucky/Carper moments. I hope you all enjoy this though. We are around 180 views right now which is insane to me. As always, please leave a review. I hope you have a fun start to December. It's cold here. Still, I hope you enjoy the chapter and leave a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

Bucky is finally stable, fast asleep. Steve and I sit in the room with him. "Project TAHITI," I mutter. Steve looks up.

"What's that?" he asks

"That is what we need to talk about," I reply. He leans back in his chair.

"Go on then," Steve urges. I bite my lip.

"Fury made the project in case an Avenger ever died. It was a project to bring back the dead," I explain. "It worked once, with some consequences, but it worked."

"Who did it work on?" Steve asks. I take a deep breath.

"The new SHIELD Director… Phil Coulson," I sigh. Steve stands.

"New what?" he stammers.

"Fury brought back SHIELD. It's an under the radar thing. He asked my father to be the Director. He then asked me to be the Deputy Director, which is when I learned about Project TAHITI, and made me swear not to tell a soul," I tell him. Steve glares at me.

"Why are you telling me now then?"

"My father is here. He wants to meet with you. I'm guessing he just wants to make it clear that the Avengers are not part of SHIELD anymore, and that he's willing to help if needed," I respond. Steve looks over at Bucky.

"I want to talk to him too, about you," Steve finally replies after a moment of silence. I raise an eyebrow.

"What about me?" I ask.

"You and I have something going on. I don't know what that is, but it's happening," Steve explains. I laugh.

"He already saw the love bite you left on my neck last night," I point out. Steve winces.

"That sounds bad," he hisses. I laugh.

"He likes you. Keep that in mind," I remind him. I stand and wrap my arms around his waist. "What is this thing then, Steve Rogers? I'd like to know myself."

"What do you want it to be?" Steve asks. I shrug.

"I want you, I know that much," I whisper. He rests his hand on my cheek.

"Then you should just say we're dating," Steve suggests.

"If that's what you want," I agree. Bucky suddenly stirs with a groan. We can hear Evynne's shouting getting louder.

"We really need to let them see each other," Steve sighs. I nod.

"I'll bring her in while you talk to my father," I agree, patting his shoulder.

"Where the fucking hell am I?" Bucky groans. Steve turns to him.

"Helmsworth," Steve replies. "Somewhere safe."

"You," Bucky growls. I clear my throat.

"Calm down, Winter Soldier," I soothe. "Rogers is going to leave the room in a moment and I'm going to bring someone in you might actually know." Bucky studies me with cold eyes. I nudge Steve, lost in thought, and we enter the hall. "My dad should be talking with the others in the conference room. I'll take care of Evynne and Bucky."

"You're amazing, Annie," Steve winks, leaving the opposite way than my path. I enter Evynne's room. She's yanking against her restraints.

"LET ME SEE HIM! LET ME SEE HIM!" she screams. Tears stream down her face and she's hyperventilating. Rowan stands.

"I've tried calming her down. How does she even know that Barnes is here?" Rowan stammers, rubbing her eyes. I sigh.

"It's all what they did to her," I explain softly. "Calm down, Evynne. It's okay. I told you that you would see James. I meant that. Calm down and I'll walk you over to him. He wants to see you too," I soothe. Evynne stops crying, still breathing heavily and sniffling. She shakes.

"I just… I can feel," she mutters. I rub her arm.

"That's it. Just calm down and I'll take the restraints off," I assure. Her breathing evens out, but she's still shaking. I slowly undo the restraints. "That's it. Let's go." I help her up. She's not used to walking around so much, so she leans into me. I walk her down the hall. Bucky sits up quickly at the sight of Evynne, who just starts crying again. She stops leaning on me and runs straight into Bucky's waiting arms.

"God, they have you too," he mutters, closing his eyes as he buries his nose in her hair. I cross my arms, watching them. Bucky looks up at me. "Thank you," he tells me.

"You're welcome, Barnes," I reply.

"I-I don't remember much," he sighs. I sit down.

"It takes time. We're here to help. You aren't the only one here with memory loss. You've already shown you can get some back, which will be crucial to helping you," I explain. Evynne looks back at me.

"Help us, Annie," she pleads.

"We're doing everything we can," I assure her. Steve reenters the room with a heavy sigh.

"It's good to see you happy," he remarks, walking over to where I sit. I see Dad in the doorframe. He just stands, watching. I wonder how it is for him, seeing the two people he looked up to growing up in the same room. I'm sure it's a lot for him. It'd be a lot for me too.

"Why did you save me?" Bucky asks.

"You're my friend. You don't remember, but we were close. You almost remembered when we were on that plane. It'll take a while, but I know you'll get there," Steve explains. He rests his hand on my shoulder.

"I want to remember," Bucky sighs, rubbing Evynne's back. She crawls into the bed with him, resting her head against his chest.

"You'll get there," I assure again. Steve squeezes my shoulder just as Lys walks in.

"May I have a minute alone with the patients?" Lys asks. I nod, standing up. Steve and I walk into the hall with Dad.

"I'm leaving in the morning," Dad announces. "Call me if you need anything."

"You know I will," I reply.

"I'll keep a good eye on her," Steve assures. Dad laughs.

"Keep an eye on both of them. Jason needs you as much as this one does," Dad corrects him. Steve offers out his hand. Dad shakes it and turns to hug me.

"I'll send Fury your way when he calls me," Dad tells me.

"Do you think he will?" Steve asks.

"We just revealed one of his big secrets, going against his wishes. He'll call," I reply. Steve rubs my back and leads me back to my room.

"Do you think Lys will be willing to move to our base?" Steve asks, sitting on the bed.

"What are you thinking?" I inquire.

"I want to move Bucky and Evynne to base. That way they can stay close to us and we can help them," Steve explains. I sit down next to him, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"That makes sense," I muse, looking up at him. His eyes meet mine and he smiles.

"You're a good mother. I see you with Jason and with Evynne. You're so good with them. I'm proud of that," Steve sighs, rubbing my arm. I smile. "I meant to ask, how did you and Nat meet?"

"We did a few missions together. We got off as good friends easily," I explain, resting my head in his lap. He brushed my hair with his fingers.

"I love you," Steve reminds me. With those words, I drift off to sleep.

 **A/N: Wow this story is jumping leaps and bounds! I'm actually not caring that there hasn't been a review yet. Yesterday I said we were at around 180 views. We're now around 230 and growing. May I just say that this is insane? I like those numbers. I like them a lot. Let's chat about plot now. So I think everyone is starting to hate Fury now. I don't blame them. We need some tension. We have some happiness though. Look at Bucky and Evynne! I'll be slowly working on their relationship as time goes on. Trust me when I say I have plans and they are precious (yes I am in a LOTR mood. Don't judge). I don't think there's really much to talk about in this chapter... No characters to focus on or anything. I do know what we are talking about next chapter though. So what should we expect in the next chapter? Good question. We are leaving Helmsworth (for now. We do return later on), and going back to the Avengers base. There will be some important things happening there but that is all I will say for now. I may actually post two chapters today. Usually with a story I'll do that at least once depending on how popular it is. I might do that now... Other news! I am planning another new fan fiction that will probably not go out until late December early January that will be Sherlock based. Check my profile for all news. I'm done for now though. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and as always, please leave a review!**


	9. Chapter 9

We just got back to home base. Jason is coloring off in the corner of the gym while I make use of the punching bags. I need to train. It keeps me focused. I have some Breaking Benjamin playing on my phone as I continue. "What's with the rage?" Sam asks, coming down to join me.

"Nothing," I pant, stepping aside to get a drink of water. "I just like punching things." Sam looks over at Jason.

"He's a good kid," Sam remarks. I smile.

"He's just like his father," I agree. "What do you say to some sparring?"

"That sounds fine by me," Sam replies. We spar for a while until Steve runs down.

"Hey, the Vision is here," Steve interrupts us. I pause my music and look over at Jason. He suddenly starts shaking.

"Jasie? Jasie what's wrong?" I ask, mother instincts kicking in. I run over as it hits me. He's having a seizure. "Steve, get Lys down her ASAP," I order.

"What's going on?" Steve asks frantically.

"Steven, get Lys fucking down here," I growl. Steve runs back upstairs. Jason falls out of his chair and I start hyperventilating.

"Annie, are you okay?" Sam asks. "You look really pale."

"In my bag… Pill bottle… Water," I pant. He runs and grabs it as Lys and Steve come back down.

"God, a seizure," Lys mutters, shaking her head. She kneels down next to Jason and gets to work as Steve pulls me into his arms. Sam hands me my medication and my water and I take it before I crash. Jason finally stops shaking. "I'm taking him up to the infirmary to keep an eye on him," Lys sighs, standing back up with Jason in her arms. I bury my face in Steve's shirt.

"He was just coloring," Sam sighs.

"It's probably a side effect of something they did to him," Steve replies. I pound my fist against his chest.

"Not helping," I growl through a clenched jaw. Steve kisses my head.

"It's okay, Annie," Steve assures. "Go get changed. We should go up and see Vision." I pull back and grab my gym bag, heading to the showers. I quickly wash off and head up to the conference room. The Vision takes one look at me and smiles.

"You must be Anneliese," he greets. I nod stiffly.

"Are you okay? I heard vhat happened," Wanda sighs. I nod again. Steve brings over a cup of tea. I take a sip, peppermint filling my mouth.

"I have sifted through the files that Black Widow retrieved. I believe the base that you invaded to fetch Miss Carper was an experimental base. They wanted to keep an eye on her and Jason," the Vision explains. I shiver. What the hell did they do to my son?

"What else did you find out?" Steve asks, crossing his arms.

"They were hoping to recreate the serum," Vision replies. I look up at Steve.

"He's four. How could they do that to a four year old?" I cry.

"Calm down, it's okay," Nat assures.

"Don't you fucking tell me to calm down! You don't know what it's like to watch your son have a seizure, or to think he was dead for a year. You will never know," I growl.

"Language," Steve growls, pulling me out of the room. It all becomes too much and I collapse sobbing into his arms. He rubs my back.

"Take me," I mutter. Steve looks down at me confused.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"I need you… Now, Steve," I beg, pulling lightly at his shirt. Steve sighs heavily, looking around.

"Go to your room. I'll be there after I take care of things back there," he orders. He starts walking away but I grip his shirt tightly and pull him into a kiss.

"I love you, Captain," I breathe, going off to my room. I'm a mess, my nerves freaking out from the stress. Due to my mutation, this sometimes happen. I need to counterbalance it with something else, something good. Shaking, I toss my bag aside. Running my hands through my hair, I try to calm myself down. Finally I yank my shirt over my head.

"Not so fast," Steve growls behind me, locking the door. His voice already sounds husky. He walks up and wraps his arms around my waist. "I bought us an hour of time," he whispers. I nudge my head back into his chest.

"Are you going to play good old Steve Rogers, or can you be dominant leader Captain America?" I ask softly. He runs his fingers up my midline, causing me to shiver.

"I'll be what you need me to be," Steve replies. I smile.

"The Captain it is then," I sigh, pressing back into him. He slips my pants off, nipping at my ear. My breath hitches in my throat and I whimper.

"Let it all go," he orders in my ear, turning me around and pushing me back onto the bed. Leaning forward, he kisses my lips, his hands tearing off his shirt. I succumb to it, my mind slipping into that need for heavenly pleasure. It keeps me steady. It keeps me safe from crashing. I need him here more than ever. I want to forget everything that has happened in the past four years. I think back to the first time.

We had been hesitant. Coming home late from a trip knowing I'd have to leave in the morning for a mission, Steve called me into his bedroom. He was blushing so hard when he kissed me. I had to use my power to calm his mind just to keep his hands from shaking as we moved to the bed. I didn't stop to think of the consequences. He needed to move on from the past. He opened himself up to me helping him. That mattered more than everything else. It was a job, nothing more. I looked at my calendar on my phone a week later. That was when I realized the damage that had probably been done, and when I realized that I loved Steven Rogers more than anything.

 **A/N: Fun fact- my favorite Breaking Benjamin song is Lights Out. Alright, so I decided on posting two chapters today because why not? Wow this is a heavy chapter. I will touch on Jason in a quick minute here. Annie and Sam will be good friends throughout this. Also, yeah I used the language reference. I figured I had to at some point. I have to say, one of the most comedic parts of this is how different Annie is from Steve and his morals. It's fun to play with. There was some background on their relationship in this chapter. More will come later which is why I'm not touching on it now. We also see a little more of Annie's weaker side here, and a little more of Annie's powers. Yeah, basically she's crazy unstable. Bad needs to be balanced with good, but lots of good is just fine. That out of the way, let's talk about Jason. Why the hell did I write this? You didn't honestly think I'd let him come out of Hydra without any negative impacts would you? Let me just say that I did choose things for a reason. Go back to my favorite Breaking Benjamin song. One thing I love to play with in my stories is broken characters, the more broken the better. Jason is different though. Jason is influenced by a few things. One is a person in my life who is so very dear to me, and the other is Steve's past. Steve was not a very strong/healthy child, and I wanted to show some of that in Jason. So that's what I've done. Next chapter we will have some of that aftermath, and we will also have our next mission, which was sort of requested by a friend of mine. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and as always, please leave a review!**


	10. Chapter 10

We sit on Dad's quinjet and I go to change. It's time to don the clothes of a punk rock singer. I take out my ripped tank top with a faded skull on it, my red lace bra, and a pair of distressed and ripped black jeans. A pair of black combat boots goes on next and I stand to focus on the physical looks. I figure a dark brown or raven black hair will work best and I put in my nose and lip piercings. Fixing my makeup which includes black eye shadow and dark red lipstick, I study my reflection. Jason didn't want me to leave, but I explained that he'd be safe with Vision, Lys, and Wanda. I have some My Chemical Romance playing on my phone but I stop it as I step out into the hall, fixing my tank top to how I want it. I run into Steve, who quickly freezes, studying me over.

"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" I tease. Steve sighs heavily, shaking his head.

"I think something does," he chuckles. "I can see your bra."

"That's kind of the point," I argue, rolling my eyes.

"So the point is to look revealing," Steve assumes. I close my eyes.

"I'll get there with you one day, old boy," I shake my head. We both laugh.

"Have you said a word to Sharon yet?" Steve asks.

"Oh so that's Sharon," I sigh. Steve raises an eyebrow.

"I never went out with her," Steve reminds me.

"You two seemed rather friendly yesterday. I'm staying out of it," I reply, walking over to meet the others in hopes of going over things one last time.

"We got you in to have a gig tonight," Dad tells me as I enter the room. Everyone stares. "I was hoping I'd never have to see you dressed like that again," Dad sighs.

"Wait, again?" Steve inquires.

"I was a very different person right before I met you," I point out, staring at the information before me. "We might actually be able to pull this off."

"How'd you dye your hair so fast?" Daisy asks.

"I'll let him explain that," I sigh, pointing at Dad. He motions for Skye and Fitz to follow him. I look up at Sharon. I don't like her. I can't explain why. I just don't.

"Woah, look at you," Nat laughs, joining us. I turn to face her.

"What can I say? I can easily slip into old habits," I remark.

"How are you holding up with this?" Nat asks Steve.

"I'm a little bit in shock," he breathes.

"You just wait until you see her on stage," Nat winks. Steve raises an eyebrow and I just shrug. Soon we're just waiting to land. We don't have much time between landing and getting us on stage to relax. This is one of those impromptu missions. We can't really waste time. Thankfully I've sung with Mia, Artie, and Rowan before so all I'll have to do is let them know what songs we're doing. My gift really does come in handy some times, especially when working undercover.

Soon I find myself on stage singing a mix of MCR, Panic! At the Disco, and Breaking Benjamin songs like no tomorrow. I end on "My Last Breath" by Evanescence, which is by far one of my favorites, and take my leave off the stage. I'm sweating. Nat is sitting on her phone backstage. I grab the bottle of water she holds up for me and take a huge gulp. I've sung recently, but nothing like that in a long time, since I was about 15 right before I entered SHIELD. Needless to say, it's taking a lot out of me. The door opens and Sharon walks in.

"We have eyes on Ward. He's slowly making his way back here," Sharon announces. She glares at me. "I'm starting to wonder how someone like you got the eye of Rogers," she muses. I chuckle.

"Ask me that again after I deal with Ward. I'll give you all the details," I wink, leaving the room and entering the hall. I catch Ward's eye.

"You know, I'm not much for punk rock, but I think you're changing my mind," Ward flirts. My skin crawls, but I keep a cover.

"That's always a good thing to hear. So, what name does such a handsome man have?" I ask. Ward smiles.

"Grant Ward," he replies. I nod slowly. "You seem like a decent girl, Anneliese. Maybe we should talk." Great, I've turned on my charm the perfect amount. I smile.

"I'm a bit busy tonight, but how does tomorrow over lunch sound?" I counter. He thinks for a moment.

"What's your number?" he asks. I grab his hand and a pen out of my pocket, writing down the number of the burn phone I'm using.

"Don't keep a girl waiting, Grant Ward," I wink. He raises a hand to wave goodbye and walks away. Sighing, I lean back against the wall. I feel sick to my stomach.

"What's the word?" Dad asks through my ear piece.

"Number is in play," I mutter, slipping back into the room. Rowan, Artie, and Mia have now come back stage as well.

"What do we do now?" Mia asks, hands on hips.

"We wait," Nat replies.

"I think I owe you a story, Sharon Carter," I coo, raising an eyebrow. The blonde stands, her eyes locked on mine. We go back to the dressing room. I pull back a curtain and grab a change of pants and a hoodie. "I was assigned to help Steve adjust to modern day when he came out of the ice," I begin.

"I'm aware of that," Sharon snaps.

"For a while we just remained friends, and all the while he would talk about Peggy. He really missed her and wondered what happened to her. I decided to do a little research of my own, see what I could dig up on the subject. I know what grief is like. Answers help," I explain as I change.

"So you played the hero? That's how you got him?" Sharon asks. I shake my head as I step out.

"No, I didn't want him at first. I had just gone through a messy break up. I found Peggy, and I told Steve what I found out. Around that time Fury had called and said he had a new mission for me. I would be leaving soon to go out of the country. Steve and I decided that before that we would visit Peggy. This was the day before I would be leaving," I continue. I take another sip of water, sitting down across from her. "The three of us talked for a while. She was only just starting to have her memory issues. At the end of the afternoon she took a good long look at me and said that Steve should consider giving that promised dance to me instead of her."

"You really sound like some stuck up innocent hero right now," Sharon points out.

"I was the one who asked that night to have her," Steve cuts in. I was so caught up in the story that I didn't even hear him walk in. "If you're jealous, Sharon, then you need to take that out with me, not Annie. What she did that night was help me out. I was adjusting, and she knew that even though she'd be gone that next morning, that she had to help me." Sharon turns to face him.

"So it was a one night stand," Sharon sighs.

"I, um, I should go. I promised Jason I'd call him before he went to bed," I stumble.

"I still don't know who Jason is," Sharon remarks. I look at Steve.

"The result of that one night stand," I muse, kissing Steve quickly before I go to call Lys. Jason is eager to talk.

"Momma, I drew you a picture!" he exclaims. I can't help but laugh. He's so much like Steve sometimes, artistic ability being one of them. "You met the bad man," he suddenly remarks.

"Jasie, don't worry about it, okay? I'll be home as soon as I can, and Daddy too," I assure.

"He's gonna hurt you," Jasie whimpers. I sigh heavily.

"Momma is going to be just fine, Jasie. I'm going to come home and I'm going to see that picture you drew me," I tell him. Finally I get him to calm down. After hanging up, I go to walk down to my hotel room. Dad is sitting on the bed.

"You always did have an amazing voice. Your mother and I could never figure out who you got it from," Dad muses. I sit on the bed next to him.

"Ward creeps me out," I mutter.

"He has that affect on people," Dad sighs, looking over at me.

"So I haven't asked. What's with the robot hand?" I ask. He laughs.

"That's a very long story. One of these days I'll let you in on it. I owe you a major cookie dough ice cream night anyways," he answers. We both laugh. Growing up with two SHIELD agents as parents was difficult, but Dad always tried to make it up with regular cookie dough ice cream nights where we would sit and eat my favorite ice cream and talk. I really could use one right around now.

"Jason said something when I called him. He said Ward would hurt me," I confess. Dad looks at me.

"You seem really concerned," Dad points out.

"Look at both his parents and tell me not to be," I remind him. He sighs, standing up.

"Get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow," he orders. I swallow hard and prepare for bed. He's right. Tomorrow is going to be rough.

 **A/N: I now realize that somewhere along the lines I must have misnumbered the chapters in my document... Oh well. And we're back! This is the chapter in which I realize how much I adore Annie. I love all the bands mentioned in this chapter (if I need to say favorites: MCR- either Nanana or House of Wolves. P!ATD- Victorious *at the moment*. Breaking Benjamin- Lights Out. Evanescence- unlike Annie it's What You Want). I actually wore one of my two MCR shirts yesterday that was an early Christmas present... Back to plot stuff. Yeah, I had to have some tension between Sharon and Annie. Do I like Sharon? Meh. I sort of do but not really. I find it strange that Steve would like someone related to his old crush he almost dated. It's just weird. Also, could Jason be on to something? We don't know... Ward is in the story now, though to be perfectly honest, I hate his guts so don't expect him to stay too long. I also finally mention Coulson's hand. Speaking of which, yes we will have the cookie dough night thing. It may not be for a while (I'd have to check out my plot overview), but we will get there! What will happen next though? We will have our Ward showdown and stuff will go down! That should be fun! Also, since Christmas will be coming up I may write a Christmas special chapter for all ongoing fan fictions including this one. For this fan fiction it will probably be a not my fan fiction "canon" thing, but it'll be a good way to get to know some of my characters. So that will be coming out soon as well. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and as always, please leave a review!**


	11. Chapter 11

I sit at the table at an outdoor café waiting for Ward. In my hands is a steaming cup of green tea latte. The smell calms me, but I'm still nervous. I'm nervous about Ward actually showing up, about how he'll take me, and about how far this will have to go. I just want to be back at base now, back with Jason and Steve. My Steve. It's strange to think of it like that now, but it's true. He wants this as much as I do. "So, do you sing more than just punk rock covers?" a voice asks behind me as Ward walks to my table. I look up at him.

"I sing some Simon and Garfunkel, and if you ask nicely I might even go more Celtic," I reply coldly.

"Now, Annaliese, we're friends here. Play nice," Grant remarks as he takes a seat. I bite my lip.

"Alright, tell me about yourself," I sigh, leaning forward. Ward smiles.

"I'm a bit of a leader of an organization," Grant explains. I smile coyly.

"Ah, there are a lot of those going around in this world. You may want to be more specific," I taunt.

"Hydra," he answers. I raise an eyebrow.

"I thought they destroyed that," I remark.

"I brought it back," Ward replies.

"Can you show me?" I ask, batting my eyes.

"You play innocent but I doubt you are," Grant coos.

"So why not just show me?" I reply. I have my charms and I know exactly how to play them. Thankfully he's willing to bite into that apple.

"I suppose," Grant caves. I let him take my hand and lead me to his car. I'm really hoping this tracker is working. We drive for a while before coming to a warehouse. "It's one of our bases. I figure it's better than nothing," Grant sighs as we walk inside. I try and get a feel for the area, mapping things out in my head. It's too quiet. Gut instinct tells me something is wrong. On top of that my anxiety is skyrocketing. Damn it I forgot my fucking pills!

"I see," I mutter. I hear the click of a gun.

"Who the hell are you, really?" Grant demands. I tense, but go into hyper drive. I swing my arm back knocking the gun out of his hand, my legs jumping into the air, grabbing his waist, and twisting him to the ground. In the chaos the gun goes off, hitting me in the hip.

"Fuck!" I hiss, kneeling on his chest. My breathing is getting faster.

"Who the hell are you?" Grant growls.

"Your worst goddamn nightmare," I snap, trying to urge my body to heal. It's the most fickle part of my ability. Sometimes my body works and other times it doesn't. Right now it's not being very nice. Come on, Steven, get in here.

"Not much of an answer," Grant groans, spinning us over. My hip screams in pain, but I grit my teeth. Hold on, Annie. Hold on.

"Dark Veil," I pant. I have one more trick. I feel the power surging through me, my cells coming alive. I start to mimic the pain I have onto him, but he just clenches his jaw, eyes locked on me.

"What is your actual name?" Grant shouts, his voice reverberating throughout the room.

"You know who I am? I'm the mother of the child you fucking starved and experimented on. I'm the woman who got shot protecting her son. I'm the Dark Veil, SHIELD's computer in a human. And you pissed me the fuck off, Grant Ward, because no one messes with my son," I growl, shifting to move my knee up hard between his legs. He jumps off me and I get onto my feet, my hip groaning. I need a medic. I need to hold on. Adrenaline courses through my face. Every inch of the room I'm aware of. Grant. His heart rate I can feel it.

"Come on, that's still not a name," Grant laughs. "If you mean that four year old, then he deserved it. He's perfect for our experimentations. Besides he calmed Carper down so she wouldn't whine like some dog. She goes into heat like one too. We have to keep her sedated for the week each time." I punch him, my hand on his throat as I force him back against the wall.

"Coulson warned me about you. You'll try to get into my head. Guess what? I have the stronger mind. So come on. Try me. Try me Ward. You've already pissed off the two people you really shouldn't," I laugh. I use my mind to start ripping apart his cells. He starts seething in pain, but I don't stop.

"You speak to Coulson?" he grunts.

"I'm his damn daughter," I whisper, slapping him hard.

"You said two people. Who's the other?" Grant asks.

"The one person who could crush you like a bug," Steve cuts in. I throw Grant back into Steve's arms. He holds him tightly as I continue my work.

"Do you feel that pain? Every cell in your body is being shredding like paper, Grant Ward. You'll suffer, and keep on suffering. Eventually I'll get to your brain cells and you'll be begging for me to kill you. Then I'll start the heart, and you'll die. I'll make sure it's slow though, you fucking bastard," I pant. The pain in my hip is throbbing, and the room is spinning. I can't hold on for much longer. Steve can tell too. I can see it in the way he looks at me. He's concerned.

"Dark Veil, you're bleeding," Steve points out.

"Captain, I'd really like it if you don't point out the obvious," I warn. Grant screams in pain, trying to pull back against Steve. Steve looks at me and hesitates. Finally he goes and snaps Grant's neck as I start falling to the ground.

"We need a medic in here!" Steve shouts in the communicator. He lets Grant's body fall to the ground as he runs to me, setting my head in his lap. He presses his hand against my wound.

"Jasie… He… He said Ward… Ward would… would hurt me," I breathe.

"Hold on, Annie. It's okay. They're coming in," Steve assures. I hear the rushing of feet running into the room as my eyes flutter shut. My breathing becomes labored and I sense someone kneel down beside me. "Annie, stay with me," Steve urges.

"She's lost a lot of blood," Nat's voice points out. Someone picks me up and I groan, but barely. I'm hurt badly. It all starts fading. I feel the stickiness of the blood on my hip and leg. These are my favorite pair of jeans. Fuck. I try and stay awake as they rest me on what must be a cot. Where are we? What is… I fade into the darkness. I sleep. I rest.

**Lys's perspective**

Steve sits next to Annie's bed. She's so pale. It's been a day. They removed the bullet, but considering all the blood loss and anxiety, I think she'll be under for a while. I stand next to Coulson. "She'll live," I assure.

"So you keep saying," Coulson sighs. "She was going to torture Ward."

"Can you blame her?" I ask. He shakes his head.

"Rogers would have let her, but she was going to pass out. Had he not just ended it, Annie would have died," I explain.

"She's tough, sometimes too tough," Coulson remarks. I smile.

"Why do you think she lasted after Marianna died?" I laugh.

"She's just like Marianna," Coulson shakes his head. "She'd be proud."

"She'd be proud of you raising her so well," I remind him.

"She died trying to free you, Lys," Coulson mutters.

"I know. It would take another two years to get me out of Hydra's claws. Had Ward known I was still alive, he'd have put me right back in," I growl.

"Why did you marry him then?" Coulson asks.

"I was a naïve idiot," I muse, walking into Annie's recovery room. "You should go see Jason."

"I don't want to leave her," Steve protests.

"Rogers, your son needs you," I urge. He looks up at me.

"I keep thinking what would happen had I been in there earlier," he sighs.

"You're tired. There is nothing you can do. You already gave her blood, and you've been here without sleep since she's gotten in. Go see your son and get some sleep," I demand. His eyes narrow.

"Fine," he caves. I leave the room to go find Artie. We're at Helmsworth so I walk down to the basement. I open the padlock and enter the code, entering our secret labs. Artie is kneeling by our pod.

"How's he looking?" I ask. Artie looks up.

"He's stable, and we have stronger brain waves," Artie replies. "You were right. His body does the majority of the healing."

"Give me a break. I kind of created him," I tease. He smiles.

"How's Annie?" he asks.

"She's stable. That's the best we can hope for right now," I reply coldly. I look into the pod. "He looks like he's sleeping, not in a coma."

"Is it a coma? I mean, what really is it?" Artie inquires. I shrug.

"Keep me in the loop. It's time to face Carper and Barnes," I order, walking away.

 **A/N: Fun story with this one. I was talking to one of my friends one day who happens to watch SHIELD, and I mentioned that I write this fan fiction. She looked at me and said you have to kill Ward. By the next half an hour I already had this little scene planned out. It was high time we saw some Dark Veil action! Yeah, Ward caught on pretty easy, but who cares? So another part of Annie's power is revealed. When in contact with other people, she can actually control their cells to some extent, or even their minds (like she did with Steve when they first slept together. I think I mentioned that in a past chapter...). It's pretty epic. So Jason was right and Annie is hurt. Thus we switch perspectives, ie I decided to take advantage of the situation. Let's focus on Lys... That dialogue... In my last version/draft of this fan fiction (this is the third try) I suddenly decided Lys and Ward should have been married. This was inspired by a really weird dream I had when I was married to Ward and he forced me to go undercover. I thought it was a good enough idea, and as Lys was once in Annie's place, we needed to let Lys have some romance, even if she now hates the man. Another point I will be bringing out- remember the pod. That will come up in another 6(?) chapters or so. Keep it in mind. Let's look ahead now! Oh wait, we're taking a side track! Tis the season for Christmas chapters! I am almost done writing the Christmas chapter for this fan fiction. It will not PER SAY be canon to my fiction but just a nice little add on that will also give us some background on some characters. We also get to see some veteran Avengers and another Marvel favorite of mine (I think I mentioned bringing that person in earlier). Get excited for that. We will post that chapter next and then go back to the plotline, but I really like how that turned out. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and as always, please leave a review!**


	12. Christmas Special!

I lean in to Steve with a happy smile. Jason sits on the floor playing his new game of Uno with Dad, who has joined us for the holidays. I'm in an old Christmas sweater and a pair of leggings. Artie and Mia are due to be here soon, Artie wanting to cook lunch. Lys has decided not to come, but I'm to meet some of the other Avengers tonight. Tony Stark decided to have a surprisingly small get together. Steve said the man insisted after learning about me and Jason. I won't argue, not now. Usually I like to be under the radar, but the way things have been going, it's only a matter of time. In reality, Stark and Rhodey are the only ones I haven't met. I've worked with Clint before, same as I have Nat. Thor won't be there, and Banner is still MIA. I guess it's not too bad. I kiss Steve's temple and laugh as Jason tries to make sense of numbers, colors, and symbols on cards.

Later on in the evening, we find ourselves in the old Avengers Tower. To dress myself up a bit, I grabbed a pair of heels to wear. Dad is watching Jason. Mia, Artie, and Rowan have decided to come as well. I even invited another friend of mine, an old neighbor from when I lived here in New York. Jessica met us on the way up and is now sitting quietly next to me with cold eyes. I won't blame her. "So this is Coulson's daughter," Tony laughs. I roll my eyes, resting a hand on Steve's knee.

"Yes, and if you flirt with her, you'll have me to deal with," Steve growls. Nat and I both can't help but chuckle. I'd probably take Tony on before Steve even had a chance.

"Who's this?" Clint asks, pointing at Jessica.

"Jessica Jones, private investigator," she replies coldly.

"We were neighbors when I lived in New York," I add.

"Ah, nice to meet you," Clint smiles.

"So how's the family?" Steve asks. Clint just shrugs.

"They're all right. I was hoping we'd see this Jason though," Clint replies.

"Yeah, why didn't you bring him?" Tony asks. Steve glares.

"Like I'd let my son anywhere near you," Steve sighs.

"Are you sure Annie isn't enough of an influence?" Mia chimes in. I feel myself blushing, looking down at my lap.

"Believe it or not, but Annie knows how to respect her audiences," Jessica argues.

"Why don't you do that around me then?" Steve asks.

"You're an adult, Steve. You can handle my language and remarks," I sigh. We all laugh.

"Problem with language then?" Tony inquires. I glare at him, raising my middle finger. Jessica laughs, and Nat whistles.

"Don't play around with her, Tony. She'll have you tortured and killed before Steve had a chance to stand," Nat warns. I lean back, letting Steve wrap his arm around me.

"Well, it's Christmas, perhaps we should act like it," Artie clears his throat.

"That it is!" Tony enthuses. We spend the next hour or so drinking, chatting, and singing Christmas carols well out of key. Eventually it starts getting late, and Clint leaves. Jessica soon follows, and I'm getting tired.

"I have an announcement," a drunk Artie suddenly clears his throat. He raises his glass of wine as he stands. "Mia and I are now dating."

"It's about fucking time," I laugh. Tony raises an eyebrow.

"Language much?" he chuckles. Steve just scowls.

"I warned you," Nat sighs.

It's almost midnight by the time we finally get home. I'm half asleep, my head swimming as I lean into Steve. "This is why you shouldn't drink," Steve shakes his head. I groan, wrapping my arms around his neck as he picks me up.

"D'you call Bucky and Evynne?" I mumble, nestling my head into his neck. Steve smiles.

"They both say Merry Christmas," Steve laughs. We enter our hotel room where I'm quickly rested down onto the bed. "I think your dad took Jason to his room."

"He knows me too well," I sigh. Steve crawls onto the bed next to me.

"Who was your first?" he asks out of the blue. I raise an eyebrow.

"What the fucking hell do you mean?" I demand.

"Who did you sleep with first?" Steve replies. I think for a moment, shaking my head.

"I don't want to talk about it," I tell him. Steve pulls me into his arms. We kiss for a few moments before being interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. Steve gets up as I whimper. Finally I follow him and see a strange woman in the doorway. She's dressed in a black cloak with dark eyes and slightly parted lips. She says nothing, and I feel a chill in the room. Steve opens his mouth to speak but the woman smiles.

"Yuletide blessings," the cold voice greets. A strong chilly breeze enters the room and the woman is gone, and a raven flies into the room. It lands on the couch across from us, looking right at the two of us, and disappears.

"What the fuck?" I breathe, looking out and down the hall. There is no one.

"Yuletide?" Steve asks, looking at me.

"You're seriously not asking what that is," I sigh. He says nothing. I roll my eyes. "Christmas. It's Christmas."

"I mean, I've heard that, but Yuletide blessings?" Steve inquires. I close the door, turning to him.

"Look up the history of Yule," I tell him, going off to bed.

 **A/N: Hey guys it's Christmas season and so we have our Christmas chapter! Well, it's not per say part of the story line, but there are some good tidbits. For example: that last section. I felt very led to write that. Keep that in the back of your mind as it will come up a long time ahead (after some arcs I have going on at the moment). I also finally added Jessica Jones. That backstory of her and Annie being neighbors is true in this story. It is also true that Artie does have an eye for Mia. I did say he had a love interest. I just don't know when or if we will see that come up. It is a thing though. I like this chapter. It isn't much, but it's a good Christmas bit. I hope you all like it. Next chapter we will go back to our plotline with Annie being injured and going once more to Lys's perspective. I think I earlier mentioned Evynne being based on some A/B/O Dynamic stuff (if not, then I say now that she is) and that will also be seen a bit more next chapter as well. So, that's all I have for now. I'm going to go curl in a ball and watch Psycho-Pass now. Have a great holiday(insert whatever winter holiday you celebrate here) season (my midterms start tomorrow). I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always, please leave a review!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Lys's perspective**

"So, who is Annie?" Daisy inquires. It's just the two of us, everyone else having gone to meetings.

"Coulson didn't tell you?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"I'll give you a hint. It's in the eyes," I reply.

"She's not his… Is he?" Daisy breathes. I look up with a glare, fixing my glasses.

"Yeah, she is, and they both don't really like to talk about it too much," I snap. "Excuse me, I have work to do." I walk upstairs to Carper's room. However my pager goes off. Annie. I run over to her recovery room. She's shaking, whimpering. Fuck, it's a crash. I grab a syringe and give her a medication to calm her down. She's in a half sedated state now.

"What was that?" Steve demands. I glare up.

"She's crashed," I answer.

"What the hell does that mean? What is going on with my girlfriend?" Steve snaps. I close my eyes.

"She has a high anxiety disorder, mixed with some slight PTSD, or at least a form of it. In a situation like this, her mutation goes into overdrive mixing with in with the other issues. She's awake, but her mind has gone into a crash state," I explain.

"Is she going to be okay?" Steve stutters. I sigh.

"I don't know, Rogers. I can't say," I reply honestly.

"I need more of an answer than that," Steve growls.

"Well I can't actually give you one," I snap. "I'm getting Artie. She needs to be under observation and I need to meet with Carper."

"What about Bucky?" Steve asks.

"He's stable right now, and better off than Carper. She needs my attention more, and as a doctor, that is my call to make," I remind him, walking out of the room. I go to Carper's room and find her whimpering, curled up in a ball. She looks up at me with cold eyes.

"Something's off with her," Rowan points out. She's a quiet girl, and as much as Mia tries, the poor thing has no memory of who she once was. She's caring, though, and a good nurse. She barely leaves Carper's side.

"We heard Ward mention something about heats. This may be it," I hypothesize.

"Then shouldn't she be with Barnes?" Rowan asks. "I mean, that's probably the reason the doctors made her like that."

"That may be our best bet. Let me talk to Bucky," I agree with a sigh. I don't go to his room though. I go to the kitchen and grab a glass of water. I can't help but smile. Ward is dead. I suppose that's good. I'm happy about it. I shouldn't be, not with what it's cost Annie, but I'm happy. Artie steps into the room.

"You called?" he coughs. I look up.

"Annie is in a crash. Keep an eye on her. Carper has gone into a heat and needs my attention a bit more. I'm going to talk with Barnes now, see if he wants her there," I explain.

"You do know what that will mean?" Artie asks.

"I'm not an idiot, Arthur. Just get the damn job done," I snap. He shakes his head but leaves. I take a moment to gather myself, my mind trying to think back on my time in Hydra. I thought I was in love. He said I'd be okay. Now every moral I once had isn't worth shit. I walk over to the room where Barnes is sitting nervously. Mia seems to have just left.

"I'm remembering more," Barnes mutters.

"You know that Carper goes into heats, don't you?" I ask. Barnes glares up at me.

"Yes, I do," Barnes growls. I guess he's remembering more than I thought.

"She's in one now," I point out coldly. Barnes tenses.

"Let me see her," he demands.

"That'll mean letting you and her sleep with each other, won't it?" I ask.

"What the hell do you think? You're the doctor," Barnes spits out. I cross my arms.

"I'll prepare a room," I tell him, slipping into the hall. Annie's room is right across from his. I see Artie checking Annie's vitals as Jason sits in Rogers' lap in the corner of the room. We're all going through hell, and it won't get better. My phone rings. "Hello?" I answer.

"Dr. Ward, I should be giving my condolences," Fury replies.

"Save it then," I growl. "She knows about Jason. Rogers does too. They're both pissed. It doesn't help that Coulson let slip about SHIELD."

"How's your little project going?" Fury asks with a heavy sigh.

"It's going well. He's stable. She doesn't know yet, which is good. He might just be fine by Christmas," I explain. There's a moment of silence.

"How's Annie holding up?"

"She's in a crash. Rogers is beside himself. Someone should have warned him before this. A lot of people are pretty upset with you right now. You may want to just come clean," I tell him.

"Keep it secret for now. It's too late to turn back," Fury orders, hanging up the phone. I walk down the hall to prepare a room for our two patients. It's good to be just working in quiet. I spend over half my day talking, no time to myself. I'm always working without a break. At least I'm doing the world some good now. I no longer feel a need to apologize for every last wrong. I can live with myself again. Is Fury right in all of this though? Shouldn't we just come clean once and for all? If this works, then everything changes. No, I'll listen to what Fury says. I have to if I value my job.

It's evening. Barnes and Carper in their room. We have chips on them to keep monitoring their vitals, but they should be okay. I take a sip of coffee. It's my turn to watch Annie now. We've gone what we can. It's up to her mind to do the rest. The door opens and Sharon Carter walks in. "Steve wanted me to get an update," Sharon tells me. I look up.

"I'm surprised. You don't seem fond of her," I remark. Sharon frowns.

"At first I didn't, but I think I understand now. I saw how Steve reacted. They have something I can't get between," Sharon muses.

"She's stable for now. The only thing we can do is wait," I sigh.

"How many times has this happened?" Sharon asks. I think for a moment.

"Two times after her mother's death, and more than I can count after what happened with Jason," I reply.

"How'd her mother die?" Sharon inquires, pulling up a chair.

"Marianna and Annie were on a mission to get me out of a situation I was placed in. My captors found out, and stormed in on the two agents. Marianna took a shot for Annie, died right in front of her. She came her right after. It was my boss who was here then, Jack Ryder," I explain.

"She's been through a lot," Sharon mutters.

"Through hell and back," I agree. "She's been through hell and back way too many times."

 **A/N: Happy New Year! Hey guys, I'm back! It was good to take a break. Now we're back though and I'm ready to roll! So Annie is still in her crash, Carper has gone into a heat, and we learn a few things! So now we know a bit more about Annie's first time at Helmsworth. We also have a new guy- Jack Ryder. He'll be in a little bit later, don't worry. Let's get back to Carper. As I think I mentioned, I based Evynne Carper off of some Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamic things, and this is where that comes in a bit. It's also why she can locate Bucky. Alright, so what's going on next chapter? Anyone want to read Steve's perspective? That's what we're getting! So something not really new but that I'm going to start pushing a bit more is my profile. Check it out. I have lots of cool stuff there including possible ideas for you guys to vote on for future fan fictions. I also give information concerning all my fan fictions. It's pretty nice stuff. So check my profile, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review! Also, have a happy 2016!**


	14. Chapter 13

*Steve's perspective*

We've been at Helmsworth a week. Jason has had two seizures since. Otherwise he seems fine, just like a normal boy. I'm still adjusting to him. Then again, I'm still adjusting period. I'm sitting by Annie's bed. Evynne and Jason were playing out back. Rowan said she was going to go on a walk with them. The door opens and Bucky walks in. "I remember it all now," he mutters. I look up with hope in my eyes.

"Really?" I ask. He slowly nods.

"Mia has been working on me for hours upon hours. It's finally come back. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Bucky replies. He pulls up a chair. "How'd you meet her?"

"When I came out of the ice, she was there. They sent her to get me adjusted to this new world," I tell him.

"It's good to see you've found someone finally," he chuckles. I smile.

"You have Evynne," I remind him. He looks up at me.

"It was torture, what they did. It didn't matter how much we begged just to have lunch together. They kept us apart until they decided otherwise," Bucky remarks.

"It's going to be better now," I assure.

"Will it?" Bucky asks. I nod slowly. "You know, he looks just like you."

"Jason? Yeah, he really does," I sigh. I hold Annie's hand. She's fast asleep. When she's not sleeping she's shaking and staring at the wall with dead eyes. I hate seeing her like this. Coulson will be stopping by tonight. It's the first chance he's had to see her. We sit in silence for a while until the door opens again and Evynne and Jason step into the room. Evynne Carper looks more human now, not just skin and bone. She's gained more color and weight. I'm glad to see it. She's even smiling now, something I don't think I've really seen her do.

"Daddy, look what I found!" Jason laughs as he brings me an arrowhead. I smile and put him on my lap. The boy frowns as he looks at his mother. He hates seeing her like this as much as I do. I think of what Annie said. Jason said Ward would hurt her. He should really get checked out in case he has the same genetic abilities as Annie. I was shocked when I first found out about those.

"We had fun," Evynne sighs as Bucky stands to hug her. Her heat ended the other day, and they came out of it so much better. It's erased some of what Hydra's done, if that's even possible. They still hold each other as often as possible, as though they're still adjusting to being together. Annie stirs in her sleep and I look down at her. I wish I knew what was going on in her head right now. Wanda won't go anywhere near this room. She actually went back to base with some of the others the first chance she got.

"It's too much," she had claimed. I won't go back until Annie is better though. I can't leave her. I spent four years wondering if that one night was simply that, wondering what I'd done to send her away from me. Looking down at Jason, I feel a bit of anger towards Fury. I'd come to trust him, but how many times in the past month has he broken that? It's aggravating to say the least. Annie settles down again and Lys walks into the room.

"What are you two doing her?" she asks coldly of Bucky and Evynne.

"Don't we have a right to be?" Bucky replies. Lys rolls her eyes.

"I suppose," she grumbles, looking over at me. "How is she?"

"She's the same as she has been," I reply. "Come on Jason, let's let Dr. Lys have a look at your mother," I urge the boy. I lead him down the hall. He sits on my bed with a pout.

"Will Momma get better?" he asks. I sigh.

"It'll take some time, but yes," I assure. I take out my sketch pad and start drawing. I need a distraction. Actually, if I'm truly honest, I just need her.

It's evening and Jason has finally gone to bed after a bit of a battle. I'm sitting across from Coulson. "She'll be okay," he assures. I slowly nod.

"I know, but it doesn't make the waiting any easier. Even Lys is a bit off set," I sigh.

"She's made it through a lot worse, Captain," Coulson reminds me.

"I think I'm going to do it, what we talked about last time," I remark.

"Are you sure?" Coulson asks.

"I'm surer now than I've ever been," I confirm. He smiles.

"Good. She's needs it," he agrees. "Keep them both safe. Be the father I never could be."

"She looks up to you. I think you did better than you think," I argue. Coulson just laughs.

"I suppose," he sighs, looking over at Annie on the bed. She's begun to stir again, but this time it's different. I can feel it, somehow. I lean forward and grab her hand. I watch as her eyes flutter open.

*Annie's perspective*

Darkness… Darkness and chaos. I relieve the warehouse over and over again. I sense everything around me, the names of people near. I'm back in the room with Jason about a year ago. I see it more clearly now. He was crying and bleeding as I fell into the blackness. It stings as much now as it did then. Switching back and forth between sanity and insanity, fantasy and reality. Sometimes I'm more aware than others. It's like I'm a wave, coming back and forth on the shore. It's all a blur, but at the same time so clear. I hear voices talking around me.

Then I open my eyes. I see Steve holding my hand, concern in his eyes. I look over with a groan and see Dad sitting on the other side of the bed. I recognize Helmsworth's recovery rooms. I feel a sharp pain in my hip and it all comes floating back. "Ward," I mutter in a voice that is so hoarse I barely see it as my own. Steve pushes back my hair.

"Get Lys," Steve urges Dad before looking back down at me. "Hey, stay quiet. Stay still, Annie."

"Where's… Where's Jason?" I ask.

"He's asleep," Steve breathes. The door opens again and Dad and Lys enter the room.

"Let me have a look," Lys tells Steve. He pulls back and Lys runs a flashlight across my eyes. I groan.

"Careful with the light, Lys," I mutter. She smiles softly.

"There she is," she breathes. Straightening up, she looks at the others. "Make sure she rests. It looks like we're in the clear."

"Dad, what happened?" I ask as Lys leaves the room.

"You had a crash while recovering from what Ward did," he explains.

"He's dead now," Steve assures, kissing my forehead.

"I want to see Jason," I remark. Steve and Dad look at each other.

"I'll go. You stay with her," Dad offers. I look up at Steve.

"Fuck, it hurts," I hiss.

"Stay still right now, Annie. Your body is healing," Steve tells me. I stiffly nod, resting my head against his hand that he places on my cheek.

"Steve, I should have stopped. I should have just let you," I mutter.

"Not now, Annie. Hey, look at me. I love you, Annie. I love you so much," Steve coos. The door opens and a half asleep Jason is in Dad's arms. I force a smile. I probably look like hell, but I don't care. Jason smiles as he sees me.

"Momma, you're awake!" the boy yawns. Dad lets him down and Jason runs over to Steve's lap. I chuckle.

"How are you?" I ask him, holding my son's hand. He shrugs. I just smile, watching him in Steve's arms. I look around the room. I woke up to what I've been wanting: family.

It's morning now. Steve refuses to leave my side. Lys and Artie both came in to check on me more than once. Artie seems happier than Lys, but that might just be my perception. I don't know. My head is still swimming. Jason went back to bed not long after seeing me. I spent the night drifting in and out of sleep. Steve's head rests against my arm. The door opens and Barnes steps in. "Mia and Rowan mentioned you were awake," he mutters.

"How are you recovering?" I ask in a soft voice. He shrugs.

"I still get nightmares, but I remember now. I remember everything, or almost everything. There are some black spots with what happened when I was under Hydra's control," Bucky replies. "Look at him. He's fast asleep."

"He's been up most of the night. The nightmares may never leave you. I still have issues with them," I sigh. Bucky pulls up a chair.

"Don't hurt him, Annie. I'd hate to see his heart broken," Bucky cautions. I look over at Steve.

"I don't think I could ever hurt him," I assure.

"How bad does it hurt?" Bucky asks, pointing at my hip. I shrug.

"It comes and goes," I mutter. "How's Evynne?"

"She's so much better than she has been in years. I've never seen her like this," he breathes with a smile. Steve begins to wake up. He looks at Bucky first.

"Buck… Why are you here?" Steve yawns.

"I wanted to really meet Annie," Bucky replies, leaning back.

"I see," Steve sighs. He looks down at me. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," I reply. He gets up to pour me a glass of water. Knowing I need fluids, I take it and slowly sip. I'm still feeling weak, and I hurt intensely. I can feel my body healing itself though.

"I'm glad to see you awake," Steve remarks. I know he means it. I'm just as glad to see him as well.

 **A/N: Yay! We have healing. So much healing in this chapter! There's not really a whole lot to talk about. It's more just dealing with what's happened and building a bit of a transition in a way. I don't really have anything else to say... Next chapter we will poke a little into Rowan's story and deal with some tension. Tune in then. Check my profile for all kinds of info, I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and as always, please leave a review!**


	15. Chapter 14

I've been up for about two days now. Lys and Artie finally feel safe to leave me alone, and Dad just took Daisy back. She had apparently been staying to go over a list of Enhanced with Artie. Rowan walks into my recovery room, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I wanted to see how you were," she mutters. She's a rather shy woman, not that I can blame her. Waking up as she did had to be hard. No memory, no clue about anything, and all alone… She still has no memory and has only just begun to grasp technology.

"I'm getting there," I sigh heavily. She smiles.

"That's good to hear," Rowan replies. "I was talking with that girl, Wanda, before she left. She said something… interesting. I wanted to talk to you about it."

"Go on," I urge, pulling myself up. The pain in my hip is a throb more than anything now. Thankfully my body finally decided to cooperate. I want to be out of here and with Jason and Steve as soon as possible.

"She said she sensed something that wasn't human about me, something different," Rowan explains. I'd had the same first thought on Rowan, though I never said anything. I was shaken up as was with what happened with the Fall of SHIELD, or at least what my brain was telling me.

"I think you should have Lys check your DNA," I suggest. Rowan raises an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?" she asks.

"Trust me when I say that you should," I tell her. Rowan thinks for a moment.

"I've sort of begun to remember something, or at least someone. A man… A tall man," Rowan muses. "It's fuzzy, barely a picture in my head."

"It'll get there," I assure.

"I'm glad to see Evynne and Bucky recovering," Rowan changes the subject.

"It'll be a long road for both of them in their own ways," I remind her. Rowan nods.

"At least they're trying," she enthuses, getting up. "I should actually go see Evynne. She really only trusts you and me to watch over her. Well, Bucky too, but he can only do so much."

"Go on then," I sigh, leaning back again. There was a time when I would question why Evynne wouldn't trust Lys, but now I'm not so sure. Now I barely trust her. There are just too many secrets going around. In a way, Rowan is one of them. We know so little about her and where she comes from. I only hope that Lys will be able to shed some light on things with a DNA test.

Rowan came by on a Wednesday. Now it's Friday and I'm starting to walk a bit. Thank the heavens for my mutation sometimes. I use a cane to get me started. I walked down the stairs and outside to the back porch before I had to lean into Steve. "How are you holding up?" he asks.

"I am way too fucking weak," I grumble. Jason is playing with Artie out in the yard. I rest my head against Steve's arm.

"So I think we should talk about your old habits," Steve remarks.

"You liked the revealing and the piercings, didn't you?" I chuckle. Steve blushes a bit.

"I just didn't think you were that type of a person," he coughs.

"Yeah, I was, and still am at times. Seriously though, you liked that," I reply.

"Okay, maybe a little," Steve confesses. He looks down at me. "I just like you though. I don't care about the rest, not really." I can't help but smile.

"Good, then I don't have to put the piercings away," I sigh.

"You don't want to?" he asks. I laugh.

"I miss them," I muse, looking up at him. "You know, we're dating and we have a kid, but I don't think you've taken me out on an actual date, Mr. Rogers."

"Well, how about we take care of that as soon as you can walk, Miss Coulson?" Steve suggests.

"That sounds swell," I wink. Jason runs over to us and hugs me.

"You two have to ruin the game," Artie grumbles, shaking his head. Steve picks up Jason and I rub the boy's back.

"It's not my fault he's a momma's boy," I laugh. Jason looks back at me.

"Am not!" he pouts.

"You are because you take after your dad," Steve tells Jason.

"It's good to see you looking better, Annie," Artie points out, putting his hands in his pockets.

"I like feeling better, to be honest," I reply. "I'm cold though. Let's get back inside." We all walk into the living area where I take a seat near the fireplace. The first floor of Helmsworth is primarily normal for a house, with two primary recovery rooms. The garage is the tech base, and the upstairs has the conference room and other medical rooms. The third floor is the normal bedrooms. It's rather nice actually. It's homey.

"Come on, Jason, let Artie put you down for a nap," I suggest to my son. Jason pouts, but caves without arguing. Steve and I are the only ones left in the room. I stretch out on the couch, but Steve moves me feet to sit at the end.

"I really hope we get that date over with soon," Steve remarks.

"You make it sound like it'll be horrible," I laugh. He leans over and rubs my arm. I turn to my back so he can lean forward and kiss me.

"That's not it," he argues. I raise an eyebrow.

"What the hell is it then?" I ask. Steve hesitates.

"The sooner we get the date over with, the sooner I can have a reason to ask you to marry me," he replies. I stare at him.

"What?"

"Annie, I love you," Steve sighs. "I loved talking with you when I came out of the ice, and when Peggy said what she did about you… She realized we were meant to be, I think. I want to be permanently in your life, and in Jason's, and to give you what you never got the chance to have as a child. I want to marry you." I think for a moment, lost for words.

"I don't even know what to say," I breathe. Steve kisses me.

"I've already talked to your father about this. He says it's absolutely fine with him, and he encourages it," Steve explains. I pull myself up a bit. My hip still flares a bit in pain, but it dies down soon enough.

"It's a lot to think about. Still, wow," I mutter. Steve holds my hand.

"Take your time. It's just a thought," Steve urges. I nod slowly.

"I love you, Steve," I remind him. The door opens and a pale Lys steps into the room.

"That was too good a call, Annie," Lys shakes her head. I sit up completely with Steve.

"What do you mean?" I ask. Lys bites her lip.

"Rowan… Rowan isn't human, not really," the scientist confesses.

"What is she then?" Steve demands. Lys sighs.

"Comparing to data we've been given from SHIELD, I believe that Rowan is Asgardian," Lys explains. Steve and I both stand.

"We have a god in our midst with no memory?" I exclaim. "Fucking hell."

"I'll see if we can get a hold of Thor. He might have a lead on her," Steve suggests, leaving the room.

"How are you holding up?" Lys asks. I sigh, glaring at her.

"Steve wants me to marry him," I tell her. My eyes narrow. I feel a prickling sense on the back of my neck. Lys is too tense. "Something is going on with you. You have a secret, don't you?" I growl.

"If I did, why would I tell you about it?" Lys coldly replies. I step forward, fist balled.

"I'm getting real fucking tired of people keeping things from me, Lys. I can order you, if I wanted to. I am Deputy Director of SHIELD and I am not afraid to use that power," I threaten.

"I want you and your friends gone tomorrow. That includes Bucky and Carper. If that's how you want to play things, threatening me, then I want nothing more to do with you," Lys hisses. I storm out of the room. My anger boils, masking the thumping pain in my hip. I'm half ready to start spewing out curses, but I stop myself. Taking a deep breath, I go to find Steve. He's in his room.

"We're out by tomorrow. I think Lys has a secret," I announce. Steve frowns.

"As if it isn't enough that Thor is in Asgard and we can't get a hold of him," he mutters.

"Make sure Bucky and Evynne are ready. I need to rest. My hip is killing me," I instruct. Steve kisses my head before leaving me to sleep.

 **A/N: Yay we have another update! I don't even know anymore... I suddenly found myself addicted to Black Veil Brides this week and my evening has been spent watching the old Chance and Andy videos. But, we have plot stuff to talk about! Yeah, remember when Steve and Coulson had a private conversation? They were actually discussing Annie and possible marriage. Now you know that. You also know more about Rowan! Ha, an Asgardian with no memory. That's a thing. We'll be going into that at some point. Rowan is in a way my first actual OC for Marvel. She's pretty epic. On other notes, yeah Annie is catching on to what Lys is hiding. Which leads into what's going on next chapter! Annie discovers, people come into view, and we learn stuff! Also, after that chapter I may or may not have to take a little break since I'll have caught up with everything I've written. I do apologize. I've been writing something for a friend and it has utterly consumed my mind (I'll hit a wall eventually but whatever) so I've just not been working on anything else writing wise. Anyways, do check my profile out, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, please leave a review!**


	16. Chapter 15

It's late at night. Everyone else is asleep. I slip out of bed quietly, careful not to disturb Steve, and into the hall. The lights are all out. I make my way down towards the basement. My heart is pounding in my chest, but I know where to look if I want to know Lys's secrets. As if the world hates me, though, my phone vibrates in my pocket as I reach the room. "Fuck," I hiss, slipping the phone out. "Hello?" I sigh.

"Annie, hi," a male voice swallows. My heart drops. You have GOT to be kidding me. I close my eyes. Actually, that might be good.

"Surprisingly, I would actually like to talk, Jack. The basement in Helmsworth, it has a secret code, right?" I ask. Jack was head of Helmsworth when I first came here. He was also my first lover. After a messy breakup, we both left Helmsworth. He apparently started a therapy practice in New York. I tried suggesting my old neighbor to go to him, but she never liked him much. Then again, Jessica Jones hates almost everyone in the world.

"Yeah, why?" Jack replies.

"I need to get in. I think Lys is hiding something, and I have one chance to see what it is. What's the code?" I sigh.

"Check the panel near the back wall. The code is Brighton, the original owner of Helmsworth," Jack explains. I hang up and do as he says. Part of the wall pulls back, revealing a lab. I walk inside quietly, body tense. I find the light switch and flick it. A bunch of machines fill the room, all surrounded a metal pod of sorts. I walk forward towards it, barely able to breathe. I look inside from the glass cover and I almost stumble back. I almost can't believe it.

"Fucking hell," I breathe, eyes wide. The man in the pod opens his eyes. He stares at me, shocked and afraid. I take my hand back from the glass and turn to see Artie.

"You should get out of here," he warns.

"Artie, what the hell is going on? Isn't that Wanda's brother?" I inquire. Artie walks forward and sees that Pietro is awake.

"God, it worked," Artie mutters. He looks up at me. "Go. I'll call you later. Get out before Lys gets here. I will call and explain in a day or so. It's not safe now." I see honesty in Artie's eyes, and I dart back upstairs. I'm barely back in my room before I hear Lys slipping into the hall. Steve is awake now.

"Where did you go?" Steve asks, half awake. I slide to the ground. My hip is hurting again, but I push the pain to the back of my mind.

"They brought him back," I mutter. Steve walks over to me.

"Who?" he asks. I look up at him with frantic eyes.

"Steven, Lys brought Pietro, Wanda's brother, back from the dead," I tell him. He stumbles back, sitting on the bed. I explain what I saw. "Artie will call tomorrow, but we need to get out of here. I have a bad feeling about Lys."

"What's her background?" Steve asks.

"She used to work for Hydra. She was forced to. I don't know by who as she never would tell me. I'm starting to wonder about how loyal she got," I explain. Steve thinks for a moment.

"I don't want her around Bucky or Evynne," he replies.

"Then let's get back to base in the morning. I want to know what the Vision knows. I need to know what the hell is going on, and if I have to call Fury myself, then I will do so," I agree.

"That sounds like a plan. Now let's get back to bed," Steve yawns. I follow him back under the covers. It's only now that I realize: I never asked Jack why he suddenly called.

We get back to base. Wanda, Sam, and the Vision all run forward. "Annie, are you okay?" Sam, who gets to us first, asks. Jason is in Steve's arms, Bucky and Evynne standing behind us. Nat runs into the room.

"I'm fine. I'm a bit stiff, and I'll be walking with a limp for another day or so, but I'm fine," I assure them all. Wanda steps forward and hugs me. I guard my thoughts as much as I possibly can. I'd rather talk to Wanda one on one later on, after I talk to Artie. I need to know what the hell is actually going on first. Otherwise I know she'll ask questions that I can't answer. I don't want to give her some false hope. Still, I know what I saw. Wanda finally pulls back and walks over to see Jason. I turn to Nat.

"You look like hell," Nat points out.

"I feel like it," I reply. Steve rests a hand on my back. I relax into his touch, letting myself smile. It's at least good to be back. "Vision, is it possible for me to talk to you in private?" I ask. The Vision smiles.

"Why of course," he replies kindly. Steve pushes me forward a bit in approval and I walk off with the man… or whatever he really is.

"What do you know about Dr. Lys Ward?" I ask quietly.

"Elysia? Hm, let me see in my files," the Vision mutters. He thinks for a few moments before suddenly pausing. "You want to know if she still works for Hydra, don't you?" he asks gravely.

"More or less, yeah," I confirm. The Vision looks down.

"I'm honestly not sure. There is little information on the woman and when they found her. I would be wary though, if you have a feeling about it," he finally tells me. I slowly nod.

"Then wary I shall be," I sigh. "I want everything we have on her and Helmsworth though."

"I'll get that for you as soon as I am able to," Vision promises. I smile and nod, walking away.

I'm curled up on the bed with a cup of tea in hand. The phone rings. Finally. I pick it up. "Hey Artie," I sigh.

"I'm sorry about last night. I had to wait for Lys to be busy enough so I could explain. She made me swear not to tell. She took Pietro in right after what happened with Ultron. She was determined to bring him back, and she wanted no one to know," Artie begins in a hushed voice.

"It's fine. I know you wouldn't act like you did last night unless you had a damn good reason," I assure. It's true. He's too good a man.

"He's alive though. Keep it on a down low. I will keep you updated. Know that I'm on your side," Artie swallows.

"What about Lys?" I ask. Silence ensues for a moment.

"I'm… I'm not sure," Artie sighs heavily.

"Alright, keep me updated. If you need to, you might have to call Jack in. If she isn't on our side, he may be the only one who can deal with her," I suggest, hanging up. Steve walks into the room. I look up at him. I know I have to be honest. "A man called me last night, an old friend. That's how I got into the lab," I confess.

"Who was he?" Steve asks. I shrug.

"Remember when I told you I had an ex? He was the leader of Helmsworth before Lys. He called me. I don't know why. I was too focused on what I was doing to ask," I explain.

"You should call him back," Steve suggests. I hold out my hand and he takes it.

"I wanted you to know first. I love you, Steven. When I call him, I want you to know that," I assure. Steve laughs.

"Don't worry about that," Steve winks. He sighs heavily. "Have you… Have you given any more thought to what I asked?"

"Steve, I haven't had a spare moment," I confess. Steve squeezes my hand.

"Take your time and call that friend," Steve assures, leaving the room. I smile as I watch him walk away. I pick up my phone and stare at the number I have to call. Taking a deep breath, I press the call button.

"Hello?" Jack greets.

"Hey, I wanted to know why you called last night," I reply.

"I wanted to see how you were," Jack explains. I close my eyes, leaning back.

"Why? You've never called before," I argue.

"Fury told me you were injured," Jack admits. My eyes narrow.

"How the hell did he find out?" I mutter.

"I don't know. How did your little mission go last night?"

"Lys is hiding something," I explain. I tell him about what I saw.

"I'll be in touch," Jack growls, hanging up. That's our relationship now: broken conversations taking what we need and not bringing up the rest. I curl up on my good side. The door opens and Jason stumbles in.

"Momma, I had another bad dream," he mutters, rubbing his eyes. I sigh, motioning for him to join me. I hold him close.

"It's okay, buddy," I sigh, kissing his head. I close my eyes, just cuddling with my son. It's nice to just have him there in my arms. I feel a weight off my shoulders, even though my mind is still racing. Why hasn't Fury called? I want to know. I need answers. It's like the world is closing in on me with more questions than anything else, secret after secret. And no matter what I do, there's always one more waiting in the shadows.

 **A/N: I actually wrote some so I'm posting! Sorry for the delay. I wanted to finish the chapter after this before I posted this chapter. So let's recap a little! Yeah, Lys isn't happy at all. Also, Lys may not be on the good side. Let's talk about Jack though. Jack Ryder is cool. In the original plan I had for him last year, he dated Evynne not Annie. However, he's also not dating Annie now. We will see more of him. He is important. Some background is that he originally was in charge of Helmsworth, but after a lot of tension with Annie and their breakup, he decided he needed a break. So he let Lys take charge. What has he been doing though? You'll learn later on. Next chapter! Guess what? WE FINALLY SEE FURY! Isn't that exciting? Annie finally will give an answer to Steve as well. That's all I have for now. Go check out my profile for lots of fun information. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and as always, please leave a review!**


	17. Chapter 16

It's been a few days. I'm finally able to walk without much of a limp, and I'm now sparring with Nat downstairs. It feels good to be moving again. I feel better, just having something to take my frustration out on. I'm pissed as Lys, and I hate having to guard my thoughts every time I'm near Wanda because she can't know. I'm not quite where I was before the accident, but that's okay. Strength can be bought back in time. Finally we finish and Nat studies me. "You're tense," she points out.

"I'm thinking," I pant, grabbing my water bottle. "Why the hell hasn't Fury tried reaching me?"

"I don't know," Nat replies, wiping off sweat with a towel. "That shouldn't bother you though.

"It does because I'm fucking tired of secret after secret," I point out. Nat nods.

"Alright, I can get that. They are trying to get in touch with Thor though," Nat sighs.

"Good, Rowan deserves to know who she really is," I remark. We walk towards the showers.

"How are you Steve holding up?" Nat asks. I shrug. I still haven't really thought about his question. My mind has been so wrapped up in everything.

"He suggested marriage the day before we left Helmsworth. I'm trying to decide whether I should yet or not," I explain. Nat pauses.

"Wait, Steve Rogers actually proposed?" Nat breathes. I nod.

"Yeah, he did. I want to say yes… But at the same time, I don't know if now is the time. We have so much to catch up on, and we're still sort of getting to know each other. We haven't even been on a damn date yet," I sigh.

"Then tell him you want to wait," Nat suggests. We reach the showers.

"I suppose I should," I agree. "Still, Jason deserves to have both his parents."

"You don't want him to grow up like you? Annie, you're both Avengers. The kid has already been captured by Hydra. I don't think you can just avoid that," Nat warns. I roll my eyes, even though I know she's right.

"There's no easy life here, is there?" I groan, turning on a shower.

"We didn't sign up for an easy life," Nat reminds me. I shower and head upstairs. Steve is talking with Bucky.

"Hey, look who's walking," Bucky greets. He's become more like the Bucky Steve used to tell me about when he came out of the ice. He still has his moments, but they aren't as bad as anymore, and we all know the signs.

"Yeah, I'm here," I sigh, walking over to kiss Steve. He studies me a moment.

"You're a bit off," Steve points out. I shrug.

"I'm going to check on Ev. I think she's with Jason," Bucky coughs, leaving the room. I think for a moment.

"You told him you proposed," I growl.

"How in the world did you pick up on that?" Steve mutters. I chuckle.

"I'm pretty damn good at picking up things about people. Anyways, I think I have my answer," I sigh. We both sit.

"Alright, tell me about it," Steve urges, leaning forward and looking at me with those near heart stopping blue eyes.

"I want to say yes, Steve, but we haven't really been dating long. I completely get your reasoning, but I want to enjoy this before we jump into things," I explain.

"So you're saying no?" Steve groans. I grab his hand.

"I'm saying I'll say yes the next time you ask, but that isn't now. We have so much shit going on that I just want to get things settled before we settle," I reply quietly. His eyes lock on mine.

"Alright, we'll wait," Steve agrees. "I love you though, Annie. I will ask again, but I'll wait until the time is right." I nod, squeezing his hand.

"Thanks. I just… I can't afford to mess this up, Steve. I can't mess it up because I love you," I reply. He smiles and stands up just as Jason runs in.

"Mommy!" he exclaims, running into my arms. I pick him up and kiss his head.

"Hey buddy," I laugh. "Did you have fun hanging with Evynne?" Jason nods.

"We had a lot of fun coloring," Evynne chimes in.

"He has his father's talent," I point out. Jason leans his head on my shoulder. "Come on, let's get you to a nap." After putting Jason to sleep, I go to get some lunch, but Steve runs into me.

"Get to the conference room," he instructs, his voice rather cold.

"Steve, what's going on?" I ask.

"We have a visitor," Steve growls. Confused, I follow his instructions, going to the conference room. As I step into the room, I freeze, the hairs on my body standing on end.

"Fury," I mutter coldly as I take a seat.

"Deputy Director," Fury greets. I glare at him. Steve walks into the room and shuts the door.

"I thought you'd call first," Steve remarks as he sits down next to me. Fury shrugs.

"I thought a visit would have a better effect," Fury argues. "I heard you found about SHIELD."

"Yes, and I would have preferred hearing it from you months ago. Also, thank you for not telling me about my son," Steve growls. I've never seen him so pissed.

"By the way, I'm really the one who should be upset about you withholding information about Jason," I snap. Fury sighs, leaning back in his chair.

"It's my job to keep secrets," Fury reminds us. "I do what I have to in order to get the job done."

"You're no longer Director of SHIELD though. Technically my father and I have more authority than you do over the matter," I reply. "The entire Avengers team had every right to know about SHIELD and Dad."

"No, they didn't. They weren't a part of SHIELD, and Coulson was on a need to know basis," Fury explains. I tap my fingers on the table.

"What other secrets are there?" I ask. Fury looks at me.

"Those are also on a need to know basis," Fury answers.

"What about Lys's experiment?" Steve inquires, crossing his arms. Fury looks at him bewildered.

"How the hell did you figure that one out?" Fury demands.

"I'm better at figuring things out than you think," I smile. Fury sighs.

"Lys insisted on trying to help him. I had no part in that other than allowing her to have the body. I didn't think she'd actually succeed," Fury confesses.

"Well, she has," I reveal.

"Are you serious?" Fury asks. "She hasn't given me any updates."

"Yeah, it worked," Steve confirms. "Wanda should know."

"Let's wait. She's just got settled on the team. Let Lys get him strong again. I've called Jack and told him to keep more of an eye on Helmsworth. We tell her when the time is right," I disagree.

"That isn't much different than my position," Fury points out.

"If Wanda were to ask though we'd explain," Steve reminds him. He sighs. "Besides, we don't know all the information, or what all is going on."

"We have a source though, and as soon as we know enough we are telling her," I agree.

"You're playing a dangerous game going against Lys," Fury warns.

"I'm afraid her time with Ward and Hydra has corrupted her more than she realizes," I tell him. Fury thinks for a moment.

"You might be right," Fury caves. "I'll tell you what secrets I have concerning you as they become important. Is knowing they exist enough?"

"What can you tell us about them?" Steve asks. Fury thinks for a moment.

"All I can say is that they are very sensitive, and they will make a lot of people even more of targets than they already are," Fury replies. I look down at the table.

"I already know that you're hiding the file about how my mother was experimented on," I confess. Fury sighs heavily.

"Marianna herself asked me to hold that one until it became necessary not to. It was the last thing she asked of me," Fury explains. I look up at him.

"It's the real reason why she died, isn't it?" I ask. Fury nods. "I'll respect her wishes. Does Dad know?"

"She never told him," Fury denies. He stands up. "I'll be in touch more often. Captain, you might want to keep your eyes open. There are a lot of people close to you that won't be happy when they find out you have Barnes."

"Thanks for the warning," Steve replies, standing up as well. Fury waves goodbye and leaves the room. I realize now that the game is bigger than we thought. Whatever is going on, it isn't an easy game. It's dangerous. And it also may explain the biggest mystery I've ever had to face: myself.

 **A/N: Hi there! Sorry this is late in coming. I've been busy and what not. I have a lot going on in my life. So let's just jump right in. Yeah, Annie said no. I think there is something with that. She doesn't want to lose another person she loves. She'd rather wait until she feels comfortable before jumping entirely in. Next order of business, Fury. Yeah. It's about damn time he's here. We also have more secrets. What really went down with Annie's mother? That will come up a bit later, but it's good to plant the seed now. It'll be something brought up at multiple points. Next chapter... What is next chapter? Evynne has some questions, and Steve is starting to figure out what it is he wants from this relationship. It'll be a bit of a shorter chapter, but it will be fun! With my life settling, I should be posting more regularly. Check out my profile as I am starting a Supernatural fan fiction today. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always please leave a review!**


	18. Chapter 17

A few days have gone by. I'm waiting for Dad to call me. Finally he does. "Hey, what's up?" Dad asks. I play with a pen in my hand.

"Fury came," I reply. There is a moment of silence.

"He… He did?" Dad breathes. I stand up.

"Yeah, he talked with me and Steve. He has more secrets he's refusing to tell, but saying they exist. Dad… One of them was about Mom," I explain.

"Annie, what are you thinking?" he inquires with a sigh. I think for a moment.

"I'm still trying to decide. I don't really want to do anything until he comes out with," I answer, starting to pace the room.

"Has um… Has Steve…?" Dad stumbles.

"Asked me yet? Yeah, I told him to wait a bit. There is just too much going on. He understands. I think seeing Fury set that in stone for him," I sigh.

"Alright, that makes sense. Keep me posted," Dad replies. "Also, don't do anything rash. You need to focus on yourself, not this whole secret thing." I hang up and sit back down on the bed. The door opens, Steve slipping in. He sits on the bed next to me.

"Can we talk?" he asks. I nod, leaning into him.

"Of course," I tell him. "Is Jason in bed?"

"Yeah, he is," Steve assures. He grabs my hand. "I-I want… I want more."

"More what?" I ask, highly confused. Steve looks at me with his innocent blue eyes.

"More… Please don't make me just say it," Steve groans. I think for a moment before laughing.

"Okay, fine, I get you. Why though? This is coming out of almost nowhere," I remark. Steve shrugs.

"I was talking with Nat about what your last relationship was like. I want to give you more, show you how much you mean to me. I want to enjoy this," Steve explains.

"Steve, I'm okay with this," I assure. He rests his hand on my leg.

"Annie, I want this. I want you," Steve pushes. I think for a moment. I'm about to say something when a soft knock comes at the door. It creaks open and Evynne pops her head in.

"C-Can I talk… To, um, Annie… alone?" she asks quietly. Steve stands and I sigh, watching him leave the room. He turns for a moment and winks at me. I smile as he leaves.

"So," I sigh. "What do you need?" Evynne shrugs, closing the door.

"I… I think… After my last heat," she mutters. I raise an eyebrow.

"How certain are you?" I inquire. She sits down.

"Fairly, I think," she replies, looking up at me. "I don't… I don't know what to do." I grab her hand.

"Evynne, you should talk to Bucky," I urge.

"What if… What if he…?" she breathes. I sigh.

"Trust me, it will all be okay. He'll be there for you. I know he will," I assure. Evynne looks at me with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you," she mumbles. I smile at her, rubbing her hand. "I sort of… I sort of want kids. I love Jason… Being with him."

"I know you do. No matter what, one day you'll be an amazing mother," I tell her. She chuckles. "I'm serious. We all do the best we can, even if it's hard in this sort of situation."

"I trust you," Evynne remarks. "You are so good to me, and to Bucky."

"What else would Steve and I do?" I laugh. We both smile and she stands.

"Do, uh, do you have any… Oh what is it, tests?" Evynne coughs. I shake my head.

"No, but I can do a simple blood test. It's getting late, so we'll take care of it tomorrow," I wink. She nods quickly and stands to leave.

"Thanks again, Annie. I feel… I feel like I can talk to you about anything," Evynne muses.

"That's good to here," I remark. She smiles again and leaves. As she does, Steve comes back in. "Hey, where'd you end up going?"

"Just down the hall. I figured we still had a conversation to finish," Steve replies. He closes the door behind him. I cross my arms.

"So, you want to do this?" I ask with a sigh.

"Yeah," Steve nods quickly. I think for a moment, walking up to him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"I love you," I mutter. He wraps his arms around my waist, resting his forehead against mine.

"Can I take this as a yes?" he breathes. I smile.

"Maybe. I mean, your offer isn't that bad," I muse. He lightly kisses my nose, reaching back to lock the door.

"I'll just assume a yes then," Steve winks. We kiss as we step back, Steve gently resting his hands on my hips. I take in the moment. It actually has been a bit. Steve has been reluctant as I've been healing. He pulls my shirt up a bit, rubbing his thumb against my scar. I've healed now, but the scar will stay with me. I'll wear it proudly though. It was well earned.

"Steve," I breathe, pulling up his shirt. He smiles against my lips.

"I love you so much," he tells me, laying me down on the bed. I rest my hand against his chest.

"I love you too," I reply. He starts kissing my jaw as I slip my fingers down. He lightly groans.

"This'll be not just one round," he growls. I smile.

"Oh, I'm hoping on it," I wink. We finally fall asleep amidst euphoria and sweat around midnight.

 **A/N: Hi guys! Look at that, I'm posting more regularly! So this was a fun chapter. The next two chapters are also going to be more "filler" in the same way that this was. It's more settling and damage control than anything. So let's just jump straight into it. Keep an eye on the concern that Coulson has about Annie. That will come into play much later as I last explained. Also, Steve and Annie are further building their relationship and what they want. Steve as you can see is trying to figure out how dating works in the modern world. Okay, now to Evynne! Remember that idea of Mate Project? Yeah, that's continuing here. I'm bringing that in, which is very interesting considering I am slowly building to how I'm taking Civil War. After the next two chapters we will be jumping into that. I can tell you now. Everything with Evynne is adding in another layer. Also, I know I try keeping this as much to canon as possible, but with Civil War I can't because of how all my cards are set up. So, we're doing this my way and it will be fun. Next chapter look out for Evynne's answer to her question, as well as some more Steve and Annie just being adorable. Check out my profile, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always please leave a review!**


	19. Chapter 18

I run the data through the computer, cup of coffee in hand. Evynne sits nearby, her hands in her lap. She's so scared. I can't blame her. Why would I? I know exactly how it feels. I remember sitting in the hotel bathroom with a test in my hand feeling sick to my stomach and my head spinning. God, I don't think I've been so nervous in my life. I look back at the computer screen, tapping my fingers against the desk. If I were to look outside I'd probably see Bucky and Jason playing outside. Steve is in a meeting. People are starting to find out about Bucky, which probably isn't best. Even Nat has seemed tense and distant lately. Wanda and I can't seem to get much of a read on her either.

The computer dings, and I start reading through the numbers. I've spent enough time at Helmsworth to know how to read these types of things. I had Lys show me a while back. I've always been fascinated by science on some level, perhaps because of my mother. Genetics is my area of prime interest. Now I'm sitting here using my fascination to help someone. I should probably have someone look into Evynne's genetics as well, since I have her blood. "Positive," I mutter, shaking my head. Evynne stands up.

"I-It's positive?" Evynne inquires. I nod slowly, showing her the screen.

"Positive is right," I sigh. Evynne nods slowly.

"Wh-What should I do now?" Evynne asks. I think for a moment.

"You'll have to tell him eventually. I'd say sooner rather than later, but make sure you're ready to first," I advise. Evynne thinks for a moment.

"D-Don't tell anyone yet," she begs. I smile, resting my hand on her shoulder.

"I won't. I know exactly what you're going through. Remember I have Jason," I assure. Evynne smiles, hugging me.

"Thank you," she mumbles into my shoulder. I simply hug her back. My phone vibrates in my pocket and I pull back. It's Dad.

"Hey, I have to take this," I tell Evynne, going out into the hall as I answer the call. "Hey Dad."

"Hey, how are you?" Dad asks with a sigh.

"I'm holding up pretty well. How's life on your end?" I reply.

"I finally might have enough of a break in a few days to have our cookie dough ice cream night," Dad sighs. I smile.

"That would be well needed," I remind him. He laughs.

"How's Steve and Jason?" Dad inquires. I bite my lip.

"Jason's medication is working. He's had some issues, but overall it's a lot better. Steve is doing well," I reply.

"Look, I don't know what you're planning about everything, but don't do anything rash. I know your mother is a sore topic, and trust me, I would love to have answers as well. Still, you need to be careful," Dad warns. I sigh heavily.

"Dad, I'll be fine. I've got enough to worry about otherwise. I think… I think we may need to look more into the Mate Project," I explain.

"What do you mean?" Dad asks.

"I'm telling you this as Deputy Director of SHIELD. Evynne is pregnant. Considering the heats she goes through, I want to know more about what they were doing," I tell him.

"You think they were trying to breed super soldiers like them?" Dad inquires.

"Yeah, it's the only thing that makes sense," I confirm.

"Look through the files we have. I'll see you soon," Dad instructs, hanging up. I step back into the room with Evynne. She's sitting there, staring at the screen.

"I… I should tell him," Evynne mutters. I sit down next to her, holding her hand.

"Okay, I agree. Take your time. I know it's a heavy thing to think about," I soothe.

"They… They always said we weren't ready," Evynne remarks. My eyes narrow.

"What do you mean?" I ask. She shrugs.

"They said we couldn't have kids, not yet. James- Bucky and I, we never cared. We didn't want to bring a child up in this life," Evynne muses. I think for a minute.

"We'll keep as much of an eye on this as we can, Evynne. I assure you that much," I tell her. "Do you know what SHIELD is? Or what it was supposed to be?"

"No," Evynne denies. I sigh a bit, squeezing her hand.

"We protect people and things that are so strange. We take care of the things that the rest of the world can't handle. We aren't the bad guys. The people that took you, they are. They tried to destroy us, and my father and I are working to build it all back up," I explain to her. She looks at me, studying my face.

"Don't let someone like me or Jason go through that ever again," she pleads. I hug her.

"Don't worry Evynne. I would never dream of it," I assure her. Later on in the evening I'm reading sprawled out on the bed, Jason coloring on the floor after a major tickle battle. Steve walks in, smiling at us.

"I thought I'd wait until the laughter had died down," Steve jokes. I smile up at him.

"Your son started it," I tell him. He sits down on the bed, looking down at Jason.

"What are you drawing, Jason?" Steve asks. Jason shrugs.

"A kitty," the boy replies, not looking up from his work. Steve chuckles, lying down next to me.

"So Bucky thinks something is up with Evynne," Steve remarks. I close my eyes.

"Yeah, I can see why," I cough.

"You know what it is," Steve points out. I let my head fall forward a bit.

"Yeah, but I told her I wouldn't tell until she was ready," I confess. Steve wraps his arm around me.

"I won't tell Bucky if that's what you mean," Steve assures. I look up at him.

"She's pregnant," I tell him. "She's getting herself ready to tell him, but she's a bit shaken up at the moment. She's still recovering from everything. I want the Vision to look through Mate Project."

"You're concerned," Steve remarks. I sit up.

"Of course I am, Steve. We don't know what all Hydra did to them, what all it could be. We don't know what they were doing. It's called Mate Project, but Evynne said they were not letting her and Bucky procreate," I explain. Steve thinks for a moment.

"Okay, I get your concern," Steve agrees. He looks over at Jason again. "Shouldn't we be getting him to be?" I groan, looking at the clock.

"Come on, Jasie, it's past your bedtime," I sigh, getting off the bed. The boy frowns up at me.

"But Momma, I don't wanna," he whines. Steve stands up as well.

"Come on, listen to your mother. It's important for you to sleep. Even soldiers like Daddy and Bucky have bedtime," Steve urges. Frowning, Jason gets up.

"Okay," he caves, handing Steve the drawing he was working on. I pick up Jason and take him over to his room to be put to bed. Walking back to our room, I see Steve sitting there staring at the drawing.

"I've missed so much of his life," Steve muses, not even looking up at me. I walk over and sit next to him.

"What was done had to be done," I remind him. Steve slowly nods.

"I get that, I really do. I had enough to be concerned with. Still… I feel so bad about it," Steve replies. I lean into him.

"Steve, he cares that you're here now, not about you not being here before," I assure him. Steve grabs my hand.

"I want to make it up somehow," Steve tells me.

"I'm sure you do. We both do," I agree. Steve shakes his head.

"I mean… Maybe not now, but I want there to be some talk of us maybe having another child," Steve coughs. I look up at him. He looks so sincere with that innocent look on his face. He's also lightly blushing. I smile.

"I'll let that topic remain in open discussion," I chuckle, pulling his hand up to kiss it. Steve lets go of my hand and wraps his arm around me.

"I love you," he mutters into my hair.

"I love you too," I reply, nuzzling into him. The more I think about his suggestion though, the more I wonder whether or not that can actually happen any time soon. I can tell that there is some sort of tension that's bothering Steve that he just isn't telling me about. I'm wondering just what the next few months will actually bring.

 **A/N: Hi guys! Back with a new chapter! So as I said, I have tons of reasons for making Evynne pregnant because of how it works with some of the Civil War dynamics. One of the major concerns here will be why did Hydra never let Evynne and Bucky together to have a child before hand. Also, there is eventually going to be the continuing question of Steve and Annie's relationship and what they want from it. This does start with some ideas here. Next chapter will be the Coulson and Annie cookie dough ice cream night. Bucky will also learn what is going on with Evynne. After that we can jump right into my Civil War arc. Check out my profile, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always please leave a review!**


	20. Chapter 19

It's been only a few days since Evynne found out. I don't think she's said anything to Bucky yet. She's been so awfully quiet that Bucky has now come to me twice asking about what's going on with her. Bound to Evynne, I've had to tell him it's not my place both times. Now she's pacing back in forth in my room. Wanda, who now also knows the secret, sits on my bed as I lean against the dresser. "How do I tell him?" Evynne begs. She's so nervous.

"Sometimes you must just say the words," Wanda suggests gently.

"The words don't seem to want to come," Evynne argues. I sigh.

"It might help to write it down or just show him the test results," I tell her. She looks at me.

"D-Do you think?" Evynne asks shyly. I nod with a smile.

"I'm sure he'll be happy about it as well," I assure. Evynne shows a flicker of a smile.

"Y-You will be leaving soon though. I want you here when he finds out," Evynne sighs. I bite my lip. I leave tomorrow to go meet Dad in New York City. We're spending a night just talking and might go to a show or something as well. In the meantime Steve has plans to hang out with Jason, maybe going to the circus or something.

"Then tell him tonight before I go," I suggest, crossing my legs.

"I-I don't know… Th-That s-soon?" Evynne stammers.

"It vill be vell," Wanda assures, leaning forward and grabbing Evynne's hand. The frightened woman watches her with big eyes before slowly nodding.

"Then tonight it will be," Evynne replies with a deep breath. She swallows hard and looks down at the ground, hand on her stomach. She shakes her head. "I'm still so scared."

"You will be until it's done," I tell her. She looks up at me.

"At least you're honest," Evynne chuckles. I wink. She closes her eyes and takes another deep breath. "Okay, I'll… I'll do it now."

"Here, I'll valk vith you," Wanda offers. The two go off and I decide to go back to packing. About an hour later we're all eating dinner, really just Chinese takeout, and sitting in the conference room. Jason and I are sitting and eating on the floor, Steve in a chair next to us. Evynne is slightly blushing as she waits for Bucky to come into the room. He hadn't had a chance to go back to his room until about twenty minutes ago when he went to shower. Wanda and I keep exchanging glances. Finally the door gets thrown open and Bucky, hair still wet, clothes hastily thrown on, and eyes wide, runs in. Shaking in his metal hand is a sheet of paper.

"Doll… Ev… You're… We're," Bucky breathes, a huge smile slowly breaking out on his face. Evynne stands as Steve rests his hand on my shoulder. Evynne slowly nods, walking forward towards Bucky. He runs to her, taking her in his arms and swinging her around. Out of the corner of my eye I see Nat raise an eyebrow.

"Does someone want to explain things?" Sam asks with a cough. Evynne finally smiles as Bucky sets her back down.

"I'm pregnant," Evynne squeaks.

I've just stepped out of the shower in the room I'm staying in. Dad was making some work calls so I had decided to get cleaned up before we started our cookie dough ice cream night. I start to heat up some milk for hot chocolate. "So, are you going to tell Lys about Evynne?" Dad asks.

"Like hell I am," I sigh. "She's not one I'd trust with it." Dad walks into the kitchen area.

"At least you're there for her. I don't think anyone's been able to do that for her in years," Dad muses. I slowly nod.

"So, first question: What the hell is with the hand?" I ask. Dad smiles.

"I lost it trying to save the world… Again. It was either the hand or my life," Dad explains.

"What led to that?" I inquire, leaning on the counter and studying him.

"Well, that's a very long story," Dad sighs. He starts talking about Inhumans and turning people to stone, and finding an alien city due to a mental state induced by whatever brought him back from the dead.

"Yeah, I don't think you could come back from stone," I chuckle, taking the milk off and pouring it into cups.

"That's true," Dad agrees, moving to the fridge to take out the ice cream. "So, what did you do after Jason was born?"

"I was staying here in New York helping out as I could. Granted, the one time I take a vacation is the one time shit actually happens here," I tell him. Dad shrugs as we take our things and walk into the living area and take a seat on the couch.

"It's so nice to just have a moment to breathe. I haven't been able to have this since shortly after I got back from the dead," Dad muses. I slowly nod.

"It just feels nice to talk again," I remark. "How's that cellist?"

"She and I don't talk anymore, but she seems well," Dad coughs. "I think I'm done with love."

"Really?" I inquire, raising an eyebrow. He nods.

"Yeah, the next one died right in front of me," Dad confesses. "It took us a long while to trust her. Finally it was all working well and Ward snipes her."

"That bastard got less than he deserved," I growl, taking a bite of my ice cream.

"Hydra had already infested her work. First SHIELD, then ATCU, and even NASA," Dad sighs.

"Wait, NASA?" I cough.

"Yeah, they're trying to get this thing on some planet that can cause us some serious damage," Dad explains. I lean back.

"Shit, these guys are really in deep," I mutter. "Dad, I've been thinking… If Mom died because of something other than an accident in the field, what could it be?"

"It'd be something about her ability, Annie. There is no other explanation. Marianna never knew much about it, she'd had it for so long. Everything we knew was assumption about how she got it. Whatever the truth was, it may have died with her," Dad muses. I think for a moment, but Dad speaks again a bit later. "Annie, I did love her." I look up at him.

"I thought you and Mom were just friends," I remark. He slowly nods.

"We were, but in some ways… She was a great agent, and the most caring person I've ever met. You remind me so much like her. I never realized how I felt about her, not until she was gone," Dad explains. I take a sip of my drink, lost in thought.

"I love Steve," I breathe. He smiles.

"I know you do," he winks. I sigh, trying to find the next words to say.

"I wanted to say yes so badly. At the same time… Am I going too quickly into this? Jason deserves both of us around, but we're Avengers. We're at risk all the time. I could have died in that warehouse, and that's not even the first close call I've had. Steve… He's at more risk than I am," I confess. Dad thinks for a moment, staring at me.

"Don't let him go, Annie. You have a good man, the only man I'll let near you. Don't make the same mistakes I made. Keep him close, as close as you can," Dad advises. I slowly nod. "I've heard word that Tony Stark isn't too fond of the Winter Soldier being around."

"It makes sense," I remark. "Even Nat avoids him."

"Natasha doesn't let go of grudges too easily," Dad warns. I nod, knowing fully that he's right. "There was a man supporting Ward. He's the real head of Hydra in a lot of ways."

"Our work is never done," I groan, rubbing my temple.

"I'll take care of things on that end. You keep with Steve. I'm afraid at how bad this can get, Annie," Dad instructs.

"We're in deep in this life, Dad. We always have been," I agree. I look out the window. "Can Steve and I really have a life? He wants a family, more than we have now. I don't… I don't know if we get that chance doing what we do."

"Annie, you can have everything that you want. It might be difficult, but it's not impossible. You should talk to Barton," Dad suggests.

"How's May?" I ask. Dad shrugs.

"She's… Dealing. She's had a rough go, but she's tough. You know her. She always bounces back no matter what," Dad explains. I smile.

"So, tell me more about these cases you've been having," I sigh, letting him go on for a while.

The next morning I have breakfast with a friend over in Hell's Kitchen. I step in, fixing my jacket around me. The door opens a bit later and Jessica walks in. "I hear you found Jason," Jessica sighs, sitting down across from me.

"Yeah, his dad too," I confirm. "I wanted to talk to you about helping me. I've heard you've had some more run ins with people like you. I want to give them the option to get help and stay on everyone's good side."

"How can they do that?" Jessica asks coolly. I take a deep breath.

"I'm here to talk to you about Helmsworth," I reply.

 **A/N: Look at me, just rolling with more chapters! I've hit a time of abundant inspiration over this thing so let's run with it! Okay, so in this chapter we have some fun with everything. I did add a bit of Wanda as I do believe she will have a larger role in the Civil War arc of this story. Also, I think the Coulson and Annie talk night was a good way to get some insight. We now know what Annie's role was up until the Fall of SHIELD. She was doing some small cases living in New York, which is how she was introduced to Jessica Jones. This is leading me to the end of this chapter. Annie is very much an advocate for Helmsworth, which will come out post Civil War in a lot of ways, but this is right after season 1 of Jessica Jones. Annie wants to let her friend know that there is help for not only her but everyone Jessica may come into contact with that are Enhanced. By the way, all information concerning season 3 of Agents of SHIELD is coming from my good friend as I have not been able to watch the season, so thanks to her for helping me on this. I am avoiding the topic of Coulson and Marianna for now as it will not become important until later. Okay, next chapter! We finally transition into Civil War, FINALLY meeting Jack! This should be very interesting. Also, Hawkeye will be joining our numbers! Check out my profile for more information, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and please leave a review! Have a wonderful Leap Day!**


	21. Chapter 20

The order for the meeting in DC came the same day I returned. We all flew down except for Bucky, Evynne, the Vision, and Jason. I'm now sitting in the bottom of the building that Steve has his meeting in. I'm nervous, thinking of what Dad told me. I know all the Avengers, the ones who fought Ultron at least, are in that room. The only one who isn't is Pietro. I start wondering whether or not he is okay. We've heard nothing more from Artie yet. Jack is getting a bit uneasy about it same as I. I look up to see Stark and Steve storming out. "Let us at him, Rogers! The man is a killer!" Stark growls.

"He is my best friend, Stark," Steve snaps. "He was brainwashed to do what they wanted." I stand, holding my leather jacket.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Who the hell are you?" Stark demands. I frown at him.

"Deputy Director Annie Coulson of SHIELD," I hiss. "Also, Dark Veil with the Avengers." Steve rests his hand on my arm.

"Steve get back here, damn it!" I hear Nat shout.

"Natasha, calm down!" Clint urges, the two of them running up to us. "Oh, hey Annie."

"Barton," I nod.

"Come on, we're leaving," Steve mutters, pulling me out of the building. Clint runs after us.

"Hey! I'm on your side, wait up," Clint calls. Steve pauses, looking back.

"Alright, let's go. Wanda will meet us later. Annie, I'll explain in a bit," Steve sighs. His grip is firm on my arm and we head back towards my car which we all took down here. I get in and turn it on.

"Where to?" I ask. I look back to see Wanda running towards us. She slips in.

"Helmsworth. It's closest and maybe safest," Steve suggests. I stiffly nod and head towards the highway.

"Now what the actual fuck is going on here?" I demand.

"Things aren't going well. They want Bucky taken in, tried, and killed," Steve explains roughly. I've never seen him so upset.

"He's not the man who made those kills though. For goodness sake… Did you even explain Evynne? They're victims!" I growl.

"Who's Evynne?" Clint asks.

"Bucky's partner. It's a bit of a long story, but she's Enhanced. She's also pregnant with Bucky's child," Steve explains.

"Okay, this should be interesting," Clint sighs. "So, Annie, how are you?"

"Oh, just dealing with work," I chuckle.

"So it seems," Clint muses, leaning back. "Alright, Cap, what's the plan?"

"We regroup at Helmsworth, driving straight there. From there we get the others over," Steve explains.

"What about Sam?" I ask.

"We call him in. We're going to end up at war here," Steve replies. I tense.

"So it's come to this," I mutter. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say that Nat will not be helping us."

"You'd be right," Steve confirms. I look at the highway signs.

"We aren't going to Helmsworth. We're going to Jack," I tell him, taking another exit. Steve raises an eyebrow.

"To your ex Jack?" he asks.

"Nat knows where Helmsworth is. She'll guess that as our first choice. So we go elsewhere. Jack lives well under the radar, but I happen to know where that is. I'll take us there," I explain.

"Are we sure he'll help us?" Wanda inquires. I stiffly nod.

"He and I might be having some issues, but we still get along when it comes to the betterment of mankind," I reply. "We make sure the job gets done." Steve reaches over and rests his hand on my knee.

"So the rumors are true about you two," Clint chuckles. I glare at him through the rearview mirror.

"Oh fuck off," I hiss.

"Hey, language," Clint winks.

"Okay, seriously, not now," Steve warns. He looks out the window. I can tell he's distracted. I can't blame him. After everything, of course he'd be distracted and upset. This isn't just anything we're dealing with, it's Bucky and Evynne's lives. I pull out my phone and dial Jack's number. Even after all this time I still have it memorized. More reasons for me to be thankful for this damn gift.

"Hello?" Jack answers.

"Jack, please tell me you're still at the cabin," I sigh.

"Uh, yeah, why?" Jack asks. I take a deep breath.

"I'm in need of refuge. I've got three people with me. I should be there in a few hours. Helmsworth is not an option. I'll explain more in person," I explain.

"Is this work related?" Jack inquires.

"When the hell isn't it?" I argue. He laughs, that sweet laugh I used to love. I look over at Steve quickly. No matter what, Jack isn't Steve. Whatever love I used to have for him, it's gone and given to the sweet soldier sitting next to me.

"I'll be ready," Jack replies. I hang up and set my phone down, making my way as fast as I can down the highway. There is no time to lose. I can guarantee that Nat and Tony will be after us as soon as they are able to. The scenery passes and we're deep in West Virginia by the time we get close.

"Wow, I thought he'd live further from Helmsworth than this," Steve remarks.

"He keeps nearby in case he's needed," I reply.

"Why did Jack quit?" Clint asks.

"Because of what happened between us," I sigh. "He didn't want to risk anything like that happening again. He decided it was time to let Lys take control. That might be his worst mistake yet."

"Can she not be trusted?" Wanda inquires. I blush a bit. Damn it. I shouldn't have said that.

"No, she can't. I'm not even sure what side she'll take. She had some time in Hydra, forced as it were. I think it changed what morals she had," I explain.

"Makes sense, her husband being who he was and all," Clint muses.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"Didn't you know?" Clint replies. He sighs. "She was married to Ward."

"Well, isn't that just something," Steve mutters. I can hear the frustration in his voice. Honestly, I'm right there with him.

"That would explain how she got forced into Hydra," I point out. We go deeper into the woods. "Let me handle more of the talking with Jack. He can be bit standoffish."

"Can I trust you?" Steve asks.

"Do I trust you around Agent 13?" I reply. Steve smiles. "Don't worry, Cap, I only have eyes for you."

"Well aren't you two sweet? Hey, will I be able to talk to Laura?" Clint inquires.

"Yeah, signal cuts out from here until we get to Jack's. It's a protected signal area as well," I explain. "I plan on making a few calls myself."

"Let me guess, your dad is one of them," Steve suggests. I stiffly nod.

"Damn straight, Steve," I confirm. "He warned us of what could go down. He can be on look out."

"So the rumors are true about Coulson?" Clint asks.

"Yeah, he's alive and well, Director of SHIELD," I tell him. "I'm wondering if we should try and get in contact with Fury too."

"Yeah, I'm in agreement. I'd be afraid though. I don't know what side he would take," Steve warns. I think for a moment.

"Let's play this out a bit and go from there," I suggest. Steve nods. I finally pull down a few trails. We're getting close, and I feel a bit more relaxed. I'd rather be safe here than anywhere else in the world right now. I know how ugly this can get. My scar from the Fall itches just thinking about it.

"This is more secluded than Helmsworth," Wanda points out as we pull up to the large log cabin. I park the car. Jack is waiting outside, smoking a cigarette, his dark gray eyes locked on us. I'd never thought I'd see those eyes again. Then again, I'd never thought I'd be here either. I turn off my car, taking a deep breath before stepping out.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Jack greets, smiling so that the scar on his cheek moves. Looking at it sends shivers down my spine. I thought it would heal nicer than that. "Clint, it's good to see you. So, who are you two?"

"Jack, meet Wanda Maximoff and my boyfriend, Steve Rogers," I introduce, grabbing Steve's hand. Jack looks at me, his eyes cold and filled with frustration. I shift my weight. Let the war begin.

 **A/N: Hello all! I'm really sorry I haven't been too great at updating. I have been going through a lot in terms of my anxiety and stuff right now. I'm barely keeping stable and this is the second weekend in a row I've been in complete crash mode. Jumping into plot... We enter Civil War. I can tell you now that I'm really just going to have to improvise compared to what plot we know from the awesome trailers, which I honestly hate doing as I like keeping the integrity of the story I'm building off of. However, we finally get to meet Jack and I think we'll be having a lot of tension. Next chapter we will see everyone settling in with Jack and really just putting pieces in place. I will be making no promises as to when next update will come. I do apologize. Honestly I've never had my issues become this bad before. Check my profile to keep an eye on things, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and as always please leave a review.**


	22. Chapter 21

I've just got off the phone with Sam about what's going on. I rub my temples, sitting on the front porch to get some much needed fresh air. Steve and Clint are talking inside while Wanda helps Jack make some dinner. I debate calling Dad, and I know that eventually I will have to, but that isn't now. I'm still trying to think through everything. All I know is that Bucky and Evynne need to get below radar ASAP, and the best below the radar is here. I haven't even begun to think through Jason. I don't really have anything in terms of friends to watch him. The last thing I need though is Jack seeing my son and his father. No, I can already feel the tension Jack has with Steve. That doesn't need to be made worse when we're in Jack's debt.

My phone rings in my hand. It's Lys. I groan. Shit. "Hello?" I greet with a heavy sigh.

"What the fucking hell, Annie? Natasha storms in with Tony Stark asking about you and Rogers, wondering about Barnes? What the hell have you gotten yourself into?" Lys screams. I close my eyes.

"Lys, why the hell should I tell you?" I hiss.

"What's with that tone?" Lys asks. I stand.

"Look, I'm starting to wonder if you should ever have been trusted with this position, so excuse me if I don't tell you shit. I have a duty to protect the people I do, and I will do what it takes to protect them," I growl.

"Just hand over Barnes," Lys pleads.

"What the fuck are you saying? Hand him over? They will kill him. He will be dead if I hand him over. Like hell I am handing him over, or Evynne for that matter! What would Rowan, or Artie, or goddamn Mia say about this? Who are you?" I argue. There is a moment of silence.

"Look, I am not going against Tony fucking Stark. I will not go against Black Widow. Helmsworth needs to be on their side, not against," Lys hisses.

"Like you own Helmsworth," I snap. "Do I need to remind you why you have the job you have, and what that job actually is? If you want to be on SHIELD's side, stop being such a bitch." I can sense her frown on the other line.

"Jack hasn't been a part of Helmsworth since he left, so don't even go there," Lys growls, hanging up the phone. I turn to see Jack leaning in the doorway.

"You need to get back in the saddle," I warn. Jack chuckles.

"Why?" he asks.

"Lys would rather side with the government against helping her own patients. Since when the hell does Helmsworth do that? Since when do you allow her?" I explain. Jack frowns.

"Annie, I don't know if I can go back in," Jack argues. I shake my head.

"If you want something done, you'll find a way to do it," I remind him, stepping inside. I go up behind Steve and hug him, closing my eyes. He rests his hands on my arms, looking back at me.

"Hey," he greets. I look up at him.

"I'm about done with today," I mutter into his back.

"You aren't alone, little Anne," Clint sighs. I glare at him.

"Call me little again. See what happens," I growl. Clint just throws up his hands.

"I should let Laura I'm going dark for a while," Clint remarks, walking away. Steve turns, leaning down to kiss me.

"Hey there sweetheart," he whispers. I rest my head against his chest.

"What a day," I sigh. Steve rubs my back.

"We'll get through this. We always do," he reassures. I smile.

"You always happen to know exactly what to say," I chuckle. I look up at him. "What do we do with Jason?"

"He's safest back at the base. They aren't after him. They're after us," Steve replies. I slowly nod. "Are we going to be okay around Jack?"

"We should. I made it clear I wasn't interested when I introduced you as my boyfriend," I tell him. He laughs.

"You're just too smart," he coos, kissing my head. Clint walks back into the room.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable?" Clint remarks. I glare at him.

"Oh, just keep going why don't you?" I reply. He smiles.

"Don't mind if I do," he teases. I roll my eyes.

"Dinner is ready," Wanda announces. Good, saved by the bell.

It's only about ten by the time we go to bed. Jack is quiet, and the air seems tense. I'm curled up on the bed in one of the guest rooms looking at a picture of Jason. I'm nervous for him. Would they try and go after him to get back at Steve? To force him to give Bucky over? I shiver at the thought. He's just a boy, a sweet kid. The door opens and Steve slips in. "Are you okay?" Steve asks. I shrug.

"Get the, um, bottle out of my jacket in case," I mutter. I can feel an attack coming on. Even having Jason around doesn't help too much. I still need to keep the pills around in case of an emergency. Steve goes over to my jacket, taking out the bottle and setting it on the nightstand as he curls up beside me. "I have such a bad feeling about all of this," I admit. Steve rubs my shoulder.

"It'll be okay. We always make it through," Steve assures. I look back at him, knowing he's right. I turn, resting my hand on his chest.

"I love you," I tell him. Steve looks at me.

"Are we going to talk about being around him?" Steve asks. I blush, closing my eyes.

"I guess we have to," I sigh. "I refuse to let him even try to get between us."

"I know," Steve remarks. "And I will fight to make sure he understands that I will never let you go."

 **A/N: Suddenly not going the route I thought I was! Yay! Hi guys and welcome back to another chapter! How weird it is to write this after having seen Civil War... Which was amazing. So instead of dealing with that perfection, let's focus on Annie. This chapter our big thing is the dynamics going on. Lys is against Annie, and Annie and Steve are trying to make sure Jack stays in his place. Will any of it work? Well, next chapter changes things up. Look forward to Annie questioning some things, and tensions rising as Annie is left alone with Jack. The Avengers may be having their Civil War, but it may be that Helmsworth has some issues of their own to deal with too... Check out my profile as I point out what it is I'm doing and why I'm not updating as much as I used to, I hope you all loved this chapter and please leave a review! What are you excited to see in the coming chapters?**


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